


Tumbleweed Love

by BloodyIvar



Series: Tumbleweed Love [1]
Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 18:46:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 34,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16838302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodyIvar/pseuds/BloodyIvar
Summary: AU Hvitserk as a cowboy with an agenda. Although he wasn't expecting to meet a woman saloon owner that would turn his world upside down.





	1. Chapter 1

Anna White could come up with eighty things she would rather do with her time than clean the rain gutters on the Wild Rose Saloon. She went over the list in her mind twice a year as a means of passing the time while doing her least favorite chore. That’s where she found herself this warm late afternoon – balancing her curvaceous body on the upper wrung of a ladder, arms buried up to her elbows in leaves, twigs and muck. She was confident she could expand the list to one hundred by day’s end. 

“Combing spruce gum out of my hair? That would be eighty one,” Anna muttered to herself, her voice barely audible over the noise of a passing stagecoach below. “Hmmm, I’ll have to think about that one, but it’s close.” 

She glanced upward, trying to catch a glimpse of her own curly, black hair, imagining a clump of spruce gum. After wrenching free a dripping black mass of compost, Anna turned and threw the gooey sludge to the dirt sidewalk, listening for the familiar splat of the mess hitting the ground. This time however, the pungent muck made a muffled sound, followed by some unmistakably angry words. 

“Hey! You clumsy jackass!” bellowed a strange voice from below. “Watch what you’re doing!” 

Anna was startled and looked down to see a man – a stranger – shaking debris from his hat and brushing off his coat. She froze for a moment, realizing what she had done, then swiftly guided herself down the ladder. He was still muttering insults by the time she reached the ladder’s bottom wrung. 

“I am so sorry,” she said, taking her apron in hand and reaching for bits of leaves hanging from the stranger’s coat. “I didn’t see you there.” The man pushed aside Anna’s hand.   
“Never mind, I’ll do it myself,” he grunted. The man glared at her with piercing green eyes and smoothed his short, blonde hair before putting his hat back on. “Maybe you should give that job to someone who knows what he’s doing.” Anna found it difficult to hold her tongue.

“I did say I’m sorry,” she repeated. “Maybe you should be more cautious when you step beneath a ladder. It’s considered bad luck…” The man seemed ready to answer but stopped himself. His gaze travelled the length of her body and stopped at her knee. Anna’s shapely bare leg lay exposed. Unbeknownst to her, the hem of her dress had snagged on the ladder, inadvertently hiking up her skirt and displaying most of her left leg for all to see, including the now smiling stranger. 

“Well, if that’s supposed to be an apology,” he said with a leering grin, “I accept.” Anna quickly rearranged her skirt, her hazel eyes shooting daggers. 

“Is there something I can do for you, sir?” she asked, keeping her tone professional and cool. She may not have been amused, but the stranger’s mood had obviously lightened. 

“I’m looking for the manager of the saloon,” he replied still grinning. “Can you tell me where I can find him?” 

“You’ve found him,” she replied, as she turned her back and pushed open the front door to the saloon, tossing her final words at him. “I’m also the owner.” 

The stranger adopted a sheepish look and wordlessly followed her inside. The Wild Rose was a plain, functional saloon. The ceiling was high and unfinished, exposing the rough, centuries-old timbers that framed the building. The hardwood floors were dull but sound, as were the ten oak tables and the requisite chairs accompanying each. Simple lanterns lined the walls and an unlit chandelier, reserved for special occasions, swayed overhead. The grandfather clock on the far wall could be a real showpiece, given a proper spit and polish. The same could be said of the player piano when it decided to work. 

Anna settled in behind the mahogany bar, wiped her hands on a rag, and turned to take her first real look at the stranger who had followed her inside. He carried a large leather suitcase and a heavy saddlebag. She had to admit he was a strikingly attractive fellow, neatly attired in denim and leather. She scanned his athletic body and stopped at an arresting pair of green eyes peeking out from beneath a rather large cowboy hat atop short, straight, blonde hair. He approached the bar wearing a smoldering smile across a handsomely rugged jaw. 

“What can I do for you?” she said frostily. 

“What’s your specialty?” he flirted, leaning against the bar. 

“Sarcasm,” came the sharp reply. “Care for a double?” She was feeling filthy, embarrassed and annoyed and was in no mood for flirtation. Apparently put in his place, he cleared his throat and introduced himself as Hvitserk Lothbrok, a foreman on the Grand Humber railroad project. 

“But ma'am, you can call me Hvitserk,” he said, as if trying to make amends. The Grand Humber had been expanding across the territory for months. Anna, and everyone in her hometown of Prairie Gulch, knew that the small town would soon be overrun with railroad workers. Anna had expected to see an increase in the saloon’s evening business, but she hadn’t expected any hotel guests. She knew that the workers and their foremen usually lived in makeshift campsites adjacent to the newly laid tracks, only venturing into town for sustenance and trouble. “I’ll be spending some nights at the camp,” Hvitserk explained, “but I need a safe place to store maps and equipment. I also have to conduct business here in town, so I require a home base in Prairie Gulch.” 

Wordlessly, Anna reached under the bar and pulled out a wide, leather-bound book. She flipped the pages, never lifting her eyes from the paper. This gentleman had gotten off on the wrong foot and she wasn’t anxious to let him return to the right one. But as he tried to fill the air with the sound of his voice through friendly chatter, she found his charm increasingly difficult to ignore. Hvitserk complimented her on the character of the town, the grandness of the hotel and of course, on her lovely hazel eyes and gentle disposition. Anna did her best to look disinterested but had to admit that this handsome stranger had a way with words. Time to lighten up a bit and play the role of gracious hostess, she thought. 

“Very well, Hvitserk Lothbrok. I’m Anna White,” she said, holding out her hand. “Everyone calls me Anna.” 

Hvitserk reached out and wrapped his fingers around Anna’s hand. She realized with a start just how long it had been since she’d had physical contact with a man, even a casual friendly touch like a handshake. The feelings intensified when he gracefully swept her wrist up to his mouth and pressed his soft lips against the back of her hand. She forgot the next thought in her head and decided to go with a new thought instead. 

“You have a very gentle touch Hvitserk,” Anna said, quickly pulling her hand away as if burned. Adding almost accusingly, “Certainly not the hands I would expect from a railroad worker.” Hvitserk paused and winced nearly imperceptibly. 

“Oh, I’ve done my time with a pickaxe and shovel,” he explained quickly. “But I’ve worked my way up to foreman, and now I tell others what to do.” Anna sensed she had touched a nerve but accepted his reply. She politely changed the subject. 

“The saloon doubles as the dining room for breakfast and dinner. Breakfast – always eggs, sweet rolls and breakfast meats – is served promptly at seven o’clock. There is a rope in each room connected to a bell in the kitchen. Pull on the rope if you need anything.” Anna spoke at a rehearsed pace. She had delivered the verbal tour of the hotel, saloon and grounds so many times before that the words rolled off her tongue effortlessly. She explained that Elizabeth Harris, her best friend, the hardest working barmaid and best cook east of the rockies, would also be available if he needed anything. As long as Anna didn’t look at Hvitserk, she had no problem keeping her tone civil and professional. Still, while her words were all business, her mind raced with thoughts of Hvitserk’s smile, his intense green eyes, the gentle caress of his touch and the feel of his lips. 

They parted at the door to Hvitserk’s room located on the second floor, directly above Anna’s. Heading back to the saloon, Anna had scarcely reached the stairs when she noticed a steady pounding within her chest. She paused and considered the state of her quickened heart. “Stop that,” she thought, frowning. Her heart ignored her. 

Hvitserk quickly scanned the room and carefully tucked his suitcase beneath the oak desk in the corner before tossing his saddlebag on the bed. Like Anna, Hvitserk’s adrenaline was pumping, but not entirely for the same reason. Fact was, Hvitserk was uncomfortable. While it was true that he worked for the Grand Humber Railroad Company, he wasn’t a foreman. Hvitserk had actually been sent to Prairie Gulch to buy land for a railroad station and a hotel. He knew the deception was necessary. If he didn’t hide his intentions, he’d never be able to get an accurate appraisal of the land or properties that he needed to buy. Land owners had a funny habit of inflating prices when they found out the Grand Humber Railroad Company was shopping. But necessary or not, the lie didn’t sit well with Hvitserk. The land he was sent to purchase in Prairie Gulch lay adjacent to the Wild Rose. If Anna turned out to own both the hotel and the land, things could get messy. He had already witnessed her determined and proud demeanor, and he found it doubtful that she would negotiate with a competitor. 

If she did own the land and refused to negotiate, things would go very quickly, from messy to ugly. Hvitserk and the Grand Humber had forced more than one business to close down. Hvitserk surveyed the room that would serve as both his office and his home for the next several weeks. The oak desk under which he had placed his leather case was broad and sturdy. There was a small dressing table and matching chest of drawers on the opposite wall. The double bed, covered with a pale yellow quilt, was directly across from the big, open window adorned in plain panel drapery. The room was as respectable as the rest of the building, but lacked the spark evident in the building’s owner. He was taken aback by the affectionate turn of his thoughts. Woman or not… attractive or not… this particular owner was out of bounds. He couldn’t let her distract him from his job. 

Squaring his shoulders with new resolve, he continued to unpack his gear and spread it around the room. When he was finished, maps, charts, surveying equipment and railroad plans covered every flat surface. He even had miniature plaster models of a railroad station with an adjoining hotel. After ensuring he had not forgotten anything, he packed everything away under his bed, hidden from the view of the hotel cleaning staff. Hvitserk walked to his window and peered out at the rear grounds of the Wild Rose. Along the perimeter was a sprawling, thick forest that climbed up a gradual slope. He had seen that slope many times from the other side. Anyone standing at the top of the hill would have a spectacular view of the railroad construction site. They would also be standing on the land where Grand Humber planned to build a new station and hotel. From his window he could see a path that led into the woods. A smile crossed his lips as he wondered if his hostess, the beguiling Anna White, with her sharp tongue and mesmerizing hazel eyes, would accept an invitation to stroll with him in the woods. His smile faded knowing he would never mix business and pleasure.


	2. Chapter 2

Hvitserk kept to himself the rest of the day and ate leftover rations alone in his room. After eating, he ran some errands in town, returned to the hotel, and quietly entered the saloon unnoticed. In the far corner of the saloon was a table occupied by four men who seemed by their behaviour to be regulars in the place. The only other person in the room was Elizabeth, whom Anna had mentioned earlier. Even from a distance, Hvitserk could tell that Elizabeth was attractive. Though she was dressed in thick, drab, material her slim figure was still striking. Her plain white blouse stretched from the top of her neck to the tips of her wrists and she did nothing to decorate her long, straight, brown hair. Her serviceable, floor length skirt was a mousey grey that long ago had the beauty washed from it. Only the glint in Elizabeth’s deep blue eyes gave the onlooker any hint of the spark that lurked within. 

Hvitserk’s eyes found Anna as she entered from the kitchen. She swept through her duties dressed in a flowing Victorian gown with as many frills and flares as fashion would allow. Her curly, black hair was coiffed in the latest style and she wore a smile that could light the darkest prairie night. Hvitserk considered her a vision of loveliness in an otherwise drab and dreary town. Not in the mood for small talk after his travels, Hvitserk decided to make his way up to his room before anyone noticed him. 

Anna was polishing a glass at the bar, thankful for the unusual quietness of the evening and reflecting on her life as owner of the Wild Rose. She was proud both of the hotel and that she ran the most respectable saloon in town. It was no accident that the saloon had such a solid reputation – its owner was known for being tough as nails about rowdiness and strictly enforced a no guns policy. The policy and her reputation arrived together in her first few months as owner of the Wild Rose. One night, three strangers sat in the corner playing cards when their friendly banter evolved into a loud disagreement. Anna, not yet schooled in saloon ownership despite having worked in one since she was fourteen, wasn’t paying enough attention to the table to know what had caused the commotion. Before she could get up the nerve to intervene, one of the men pulled out a gun and began waving it around the room, threatening to shoot his companions, the owner, and even the grandfather clock. 

Anna watched, horrified and at a loss. Her heart had pounded so hard it made her ears ring. Frantically, she looked around behind the bar and spied the two-shot revolver that she had found one day while cleaning the saloon storage room. Unfortunately, the weapon held no bullets. Anna had never fired a gun before in her life, but that didn’t stop her as she reached for the muted weapon and pointed it directly at the angry stranger. “Hey you!” she managed to shout, the tremor in her voice telegraphing her fear. The stranger turned toward the bar and his gun turned with him. This was the first opportunity Anna had to actually see her foe. He was a short, ugly, barrel-chested pug of a man and he appeared to be missing every second tooth. As he grinned at Anna, his tongue poked through one of the gaps. 

“You gonna shoot me, lady?” he growled, amused. She was sure he could see her hand tremble. 

“Maybe,” Anna replied, shakily. “I don’t want to, but I will if I have to.” This made him widen his frightful grin even further. 

“Well then, it looks like we’re having ourselves a good old fashioned showdown.” With that, he reached for the second gun resting in the holster on his hip. Anna would never know why the stranger reached for the second gun. Was he trying to further intimidate Anna with two revolvers? Did he intend to fill the bar with so much lead that one gun would not suffice? As the stranger reached for the gun, his drunken fingers fumbled the pistol in its holster and in a blink of an eye, the gun fired straight into the hooligan’s own foot. Every ear in the room rang. The stranger collapsed to the floor, groaning in agony, clutching his mangled and bloodied boot. The others in the saloon cowered quietly in the corner, stunned at what they had just witnessed. Anna remained frozen, gun pointed at her opponent and her finger still poised on the impotent trigger. 

“She shot him!” yelled one of the men from the corner. 

“Gunned him right down in cold blood,” agreed another. Anna wanted to set the record straight, but before she could say a word, the sheriff rushed in with a deputy in tow, guns already drawn. 

“That lady is a hero,” the patrons said on top of each other, as the sheriff and his deputy hauled away the injured man. 

“He woulda killed us all if’n it wurn’t for her,” said another and so, a legend was born that night in Prairie Gulch. The next day, Anna hung a sign on the door. No guns allowed. Check weapons with the hostess. Word spread about Anna’s ruthless nature, and after that memorable night she never had trouble enforcing her rules. 

The midnight gong of the grandfather clock jolted Anna from her musings. “Last call, gentlemen,” she bellowed. The Boys were hunkered over their ritual game of gin rummy at the table furthest from the door. As usual, they were the last four patrons of the night. Decent men, Anna thought, though a little too fond of their liquor on some days. Elizabeth plunked a tray of sticky glass tumblers onto the bar. 

“Did I tell you we had a guest check in today?” Anna asked as they took turns cleaning and stacking glasses. “A gentleman with the railroad project.” 

“I noticed in the ledger,” Elizabeth said with a twinkle in her eyes. “An executive?” 

“A foreman,” Anna replied. Elizabeth lost her twinkle. Elizabeth had worked hard her entire life to climb out of poverty and stay out. Now she was looking for someone to take care of her for a while. The quaintness of Prairie Gulch frustrated her and she was looking for a wealthy, handsome stranger to sweep her off her feet and straight out of town. “I’ve been eating porridge my entire life,” she would sometimes say. “Now, I’m looking for some steak and eggs.” Life on the arm of a travelling construction foreman seemed more like corned beef hash to her. 

“I’ll take care of The Boys for the rest of the night,” Anna said. “Why don’t you get things ready for breakfast and call it a night?” 

“Anna,” Festus shouted from over his cards. “You gonna let me take you to the Harvest Ball this year?” 

“Why?” she retorted. “You need someone to load you into a wheelbarrow at the end of the night?” The Boys roared and Festus was the loudest. Anna had known him since she was teenager. He was like a father to her. 

“If she goes with anyone, it’ll be with me, right?” It was Shamus this time. He was right, in a way. As children, she always danced with Shamus at the ball and as an adult she often arrived on his arm. Shamus was like a brother.

“Hey, I ordered a White Mix,” Elmer slurred, holding up a glass of watered down cider. Anna routinely softened The Boys’ drinks when she felt they had done a little too much celebrating. 

“The barrel is dead dry,” Anna lied, “and I’m not about to spike a new one just for the likes of you and your ever-growing account.” The Boys alternately chuckled and guffawed at Anna’s well aimed barb. Tired and growing impatient with the lingering clientele, she delivered another. “Shall I check my ledger to see who else is in my debt?” With that, the jocularity ended and the boys began gathering their wares. Each pulled a handful of coins from their pockets and laid them on the table. The group made its way towards the door, but Jansen, the fourth and youngest of the group, lingered near the bar. Anna knew that he wasn’t hanging around to speak with her. He was so painfully shy, she decided to spare him the indignity of beating around the bush. “Elizabeth has called it a night already, Jansen,” Anna said gently. “But I’ll tell her you sent your regards.” He smiled meekly, doffed his hat and hurried out the door. 

Hvitserk never slept well his first night in a strange room. He knew he would eventually get used to the hotel room, but this first night, he spent more time tossing and turning than sleeping. Finally, when he heard the grandfather clock gong five times, he gave up and climbed out of bed. He lit a candle and carried it to his work table. If I’m not going to sleep I may as well get some work done, he thought. During his afternoon sojourn he had visited the town hall where he retrieved ownership records for the land he was planning to buy. He was pleased to learn the owner was not Anna White after all. The deed indicated the land was owned by a gentleman named Harvey Douglas. 

Hvitserk was relieved ─ now he had no business to pursue with Anna, and that meant the door was open for pleasure. Hvitserk peeked out the window and surveyed the still darkness of the tree-covered hill behind the hotel. Thanks to a brilliant moon, he could make out most details of the hotel’s rear grounds. Out of the corner of his eye he was startled to detect movement. He focused his gaze on a white, almost ghostly, figure drifting across the grounds and disappearing into the trees on the path Hvitserk had spied earlier in the day. Who would be walking in the forest at this time of night? Since he couldn’t sleep, and now wouldn’t think of anything else until this early morning mystery was solved, he decided to reach for an overcoat and follow the path himself. 

Anna had passed a restless night as well, turning often beneath her sheets and sleeping only for short, infrequent periods. This always happened when her imagination was active. Sometimes it was during a busy period at the saloon, or oddly, during a full moon. On this night it was pleasant thoughts that prevented her from sleeping. It had been so long since Anna had encountered a handsome stranger – and now she had one sleeping only twelve feet above her head – she had forgotten how tormenting the experience could be. When she heard the grandfather clock strike five times, she sat up and swung her feet over the side of the bed. 

Whenever she found herself awake past a certain hour Anna knew there would be no going back to sleep. She was shockingly alert for such an early hour following a sleepless night. After pulling a warm robe over her thin cotton nightshirt, she slipped out the back door and padded barefoot across the stony rear yard and into the forest behind the hotel. She had taken this route so many times that the full moon was more than adequate to light her way through the bushes and brambles. Her final destination opened before her – a grassy clearing on a sloping hill that overlooked the valley. She sat down and stretched out her legs, feeling the prickly blades of grass mingle between her toes and tickle the bottoms of her feet. The morning dew invigorated her skin. 

She felt a soothing breeze build and she leaned back on her hands, lifting her face to the heavens and feeling the wind in her unencumbered hair. The cool morning air cut through her thin coverings creating goose-bumps everywhere the wind touched her curvaceous body. This was her favorite place on earth – and the view of the blossoming sunrise over Prairie Gulch made it even better. She had long ago dubbed this spot Sunrise Hill. The view stretched for miles over rolling hills as she watched the twinkling stars reluctantly fade and give way to the approaching daylight. 

She stared, hypnotized by the golden sun climbing on the horizon, filling the sky with brilliant hues of yellow and orange. Years ago she would never have considered wandering outside alone in the dark, but now Anna refused to miss out on any of the joys of life simply because she was alone. I may never have someone to share this view, she said to herself. But that’s no reason for me to miss it. Thoughts of the handsome railroad foreman began to flood her mind. The Grand Lumber railroad was to be built through the centre of her favorite view. The initial impact would be minimal, at least at night. But in time, there would be other buildings, homes, businesses and roads cluttering up and cutting into the otherwise virgin territory. Some in Prairie Gulch called it progress, but Anna wasn’t so sure. Thoughts of the railroad evolved into more thoughts of Hvitserk and his smoldering green eyes. His was the only human face she could put on the railroad project so far. 

She was so lost in her blend of fantasy, melancholy and tranquillity that the sound of rustling in the bushes behind her struck her like a bolt of lightning. She whipped her head around to see who or what was behind her. Her eyes struggled to make out a shape. “Who’s there?” she said with a quaver, trying to sound brave. In an instant that seemed to drag forever, an indistinguishable figure emerged from the shadows and plodded to her side. Anna sighed with relief. It was the face of a friend. “Smokey, you scared the dickens out of me,” she said. “Come here, you silly dog.” Smokey had shown up on her doorstep nearly a year ago and from the first sight of that flicking tail, she had fallen in love. Smokey snuggled against Anna’s chest as she sat back on the grass. “I guess, for now, I will have to share this view with you, my friend,” she said to Smokey. Smokey gave a contented sigh and stretched out beside her. Anna relaxed again and scratched behind the dog’s ears as she looked out at the sunrise for one more lingering gaze. 

Fifteen minutes later, Anna and Smokey made their way back to the hotel. Though the valley was brightening, a lot of darkness remained in the trees. Anna and Smokey had taken this route dozens of times before and never encountered another person, which is why the sight of a dark figure walking along their path gave Anna such a fright. Seeing the emerging shadowy form, she leapt backwards with a startled yelp. Smokey, her loyal dog, immediately ran for cover in the trees. 

“Whoa, whoa, I’m not going to hurt you.” Hvitserk did his best to calm his unsuspecting prey. As his eyes adjusted, he was able to make out the face and curvaceous body of his hostess. He’d had no idea the luminous figure he was following was Anna in her nightclothes. 

“Hvitserk?” she spoke with a questioning voice. “You scared me to death. What are you doing out here?” He couldn’t put words to his thoughts. He was completely distracted by the vision before him. Anna stood against a tree, the breeze blowing her robe open, making it clear there was nothing between her curvaceous body and the fabric of her thin cotton nightdress. Anna suddenly became very conscious of that same fact. The combination of the cool breeze, her moment of fright and the excitement of a man’s forbidden gaze made her skin tingle and her nipples strain against her night shirt. In the shadows she could not see his eyes drift over her body, but she felt them just the same. 

“Are you cold?” Hvitserk said, awkwardly breaking the silence. He removed his overcoat and carried it to Anna. 

“Yes, thank you,” she replied. Her hands were cold but she felt a warmth building from within. Every other part of her body seemed confused by the circumstances. Hvitserk gallantly draped the coat around her shoulders. His fingertips brushed against her forearms, sending a tingle into both of their bodies. Now it was Hvitserk, clad only in his own nightshirt, who needed to worry about concealing his arousal. They began to walk slowly together back to the hotel. 

“Sunrise Hill,” Hvitserk repeated after Anna explained the reason for her early morning stroll. “That’s exactly what I was looking for. I could see from my window that it was going to be a spectacular sunrise.” That wasn’t the excuse he had planned, but it would do. “Perhaps over the course of my stay here you can show me your clearing on the hill.” By now they had reached the hotel and Anna, far more comfortable with her companion than moments ago, smiled shyly. 

“Yes,” she replied. “Perhaps someday. But, for now, I need to start my day.” She shrugged his coat off her shoulders and handed it back to Hvitserk. 

With that, they parted company. Anna watched as Hvitserk walked quickly ahead to the hotel. When he latched the door behind him, Anna looked behind her to see Smokey appear from the bushes and plod again to her side. She looked down at her furry friend. “My little hero,” she said with a laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

The streets were abuzz with activity later that morning when Anna walked through the market corridor of Prairie Gulch. Anna had left Elizabeth to watch the saloon and took the opportunity to get some fresh air and sunshine while shopping for supplies for the hotel. Workers from the Grand Humber Railroad Company descended on the town just after sunrise. Local merchants and farmers peddled carts of fresh produce, baked and dried goods. Horse-drawn wagons parked at either end of the street as town folk and railroad workers marched from vendor to vendor placing orders. Teams of railroaders carried bushels of apples, potatoes, onions, dried beans and peas ─ all foods that would travel well and store efficiently at the workers’ camp. Predictions of the railroad’s impact on the local economy appeared accurate. Druxy’s butchery provided sides of beef and pork, both fresh and dried. The railroad workers bought up dozens of pairs of leather boots, gloves and bags and Thurmont’s Livery rented out nearly its entire stable. The air was awash in the sounds of haggling, orders and frantic commerce. There were even vendors from out of town trying to take advantage of the railroad boom. 

As Anna had expected, the construction hadn’t brought her hotel much business in the short term, but she did have one guest. She brushed shoulders with the big-ticket purchasers and filled her own modest basket with enough produce to get her through to the end of the week, all the while scanning the bustling crowd for Hvitserk. Smokey plodded in close proximity, knowing full well that local vendors would sometimes throw in extra treats for a well-behaved dog. A chorus of “good mornings” surrounded Anna on her morning jaunt. The most syrupy greeting came from Beulah Beardsley, president of the church council and chairwoman of the Temperance Union. Anna had first encountered Beulah mere days after taking possession of the Wild Rose. The prim and proper Mrs. Beardsley entered the saloon one day bearing pamphlets extolling the virtues of prayer and lamenting the evils of drink. Anna had no argument with either theory – she did, however, resent Beulah’s pushy attitude and her implication that Anna was somehow less of a woman if she continued to operate a tavern. 

In the weeks that followed, Anna became the target of an unofficial smear campaign ─ accused of running everything from a drunk tank to a common bawdy house. “I suppose all this activity is good news for you, isn’t it, Anna?” Beulah cooed, the tight bun in her hair tugging sharply at the creases on her face. “More men in town. More business for you.” Her accusing voice lingered on the word business making it clear the kind of business Beulah still believed Anna was in. 

“All the more souls for you to save, Beulah?” Anna retorted. 

“I understand you already have one gentleman guest,” Beulah replied, with the raise of an eyebrow. Anna disliked Beulah and her gossip. So, apparently, did Smokey. Before the hotel operator could reply, the dog rose to the occasion releasing a thin stream of urine on the self-righteous Beulah’s boots. They both seemed to realize this at the same time, but Anna’s amusement was in stark contrast to Beulah’s outrage. 

“Why… you… little… beast…” Beulah stormed off, stamping her soiled left boot as she marched. Anna giggled then looked down at Smokey with a glint in her hazel eyes.   
“Oh, you’re getting special treats tonight, my friend.” 

On the street the crowd parted and she spied Hvitserk, his blonde hair visible beneath his hat. He was giving orders to a team of workers. Dressed in finer clothes than the laborers, he seemed very much a man with authority. He used his hands for pointing, waving, and resting upon his hips, rather than for lifting and carrying supplies. As Hvitserk scanned the activity on the street, his eyes met Anna’s. He stood and stared, tipped his hat and returned her smile. They held their gaze for as long as they could before they were both jostled by passers by. As she looked away, she noticed Hvitserk reach down and pick up something – the black suitcase he had carried to his room the day before. She wondered for a moment about its contents, but she was soon distracted by her shopping and forgot about it. 

That afternoon before dinner, Anna decided to tinker with the player piano. The old machine broke down often and she’d brought it back to life more times than she cared to think – every once in a while having to resort to help from others. She never asked for assistance until she had exhausted every effort to solve a problem on her own. This time was no exception. While she tinkered with the piano, Elizabeth clamoured away in the kitchen preparing a stew and all the fixings to go with it. From the saloon, Anna could smell the fresh rolls baking and the aromatic stew simmering. Her stomach rumbled its approval. 

With her head buried in the piano’s belly and her skirt festooned buttocks in the air, she didn’t hear the jingle of the door or the treading of boots across the saloon floor. “Did you lose something in there?” Hvitserk called out playfully. The friendly voice startled Anna, causing her to bang her head on the piano frame. A sharp pain seared into the back of her scalp as she removed herself from the piano’s innards and abruptly sat up. “Ouch,” Hvitserk sympathized. “Are you okay?” 

Anna gently smoothed the soft, black hair atop her head and inhaled sharply to will away the pain. Her sense of humor took over and she began to chuckle. “I guess we’re even now,” she said, recalling her carelessness on the ladder. 

“Am I too early for dinner?” he asked with heartiness. Anna was taken aback. Had they made plans for dinner? Anna’s heart fluttered at the very thought of dining with Hvitserk, but she was certain they had made no such plans. She cleared her throat, stood up and wiped her hands on her apron. Before she could say a word, Hvitserk broke in. “I told Elizabeth that I would be dining in this evening. Perhaps she forgot to mention it.” He paused and looked around. “I hope I’m not too early. I haven’t eaten much today and it smells fantastic in here.” Anna smirked. Elizabeth, of course, she thought to herself. They’d only seen each other a few dozen times that day, when could’ve Elizabeth have possibly found time to tell her Hvitserk would be in for dinner? 

“No, you’re not too early,” she told him. “I was just about to go check on dinner myself. Would you excuse me?” She marched straight into the kitchen where she found Elizabeth closing the oven door. Three platters sat waiting on the counter. “Elizabeth?” Anna asked with a sugar-sweet, innocent voice. “I see you’ve put out three plates. Is someone joining us for dinner this evening? Elizabeth grinned knowingly. 

“Does it matter?” she replied. “Hvitserk is just another guest, right?” Anna did not have a good reason for being a little put out, and she knew it. She also knew that she was caught off guard and wasn’t mentally prepared to dine with Hvitserk. “I don’t blame you for liking him,” Elizabeth said, heaping ladles of stew onto two plates. “He is cute, if you like that type.” 

“What type is that?” Anna inquired. 

“Oh, I’m sure he works hard, but only because he can’t afford not to. Always having to go to where the work is, never being home to take care of a husband’s duties, both in the bedroom and out.” 

“You, my dear friend, put too much stock in a man’s savings and not enough in a man’s heart.” 

“Oh, you’re an expert on the heart?” Elizabeth challenged. “How many kind hearts have you turned away simply because of your fear of getting hurt?” Anna opened her mouth to reply then closed it again. Elizabeth was right; she did close her heart more often than not. 

Wordlessly, Elizabeth held out two plates loaded with stew, rolls and dollops of freshly churned butter. Grimacing at her friend, Anna took only one plate, retrieved a mug of ale and then pushed her way through the kitchen doors. Hvitserk was gently tinkling the piano keys and hearing the door swing open, turned to face his hostess. Anna abruptly realized that the rugged, dusty stranger she met yesterday had transformed into a dapper gentleman. Hvitserk’s short, blonde hair was slicked into place and his athletic body was neatly attired in a three-piece, charcoal-grey suit. 

“I was just looking at your piano,” Hvitserk said. “The player mechanism may be out of sorts, but you can still play the keys.” 

“Perhaps you can, Mr. Lothbrok, but I never learned to play,” Anna replied. She placed the food on the table. 

“Well, maybe before I leave I can teach you a couple of songs. It seems a shame to have such a lovely instrument within reach and not be able to touch it and make it sing.” Anna wasn’t sure if he intended the double entendre or if perhaps she was noticing things that did not exist. “Am I dining alone?” he asked, noticing the single plate.   
For the second time that day, Anna suddenly felt quite self-conscious about her appearance. While being more fully clothed than during their morning encounter, Anna knew she was not properly dressed to dine with this gentleman. Beneath her apron, she wore her drab, functional work clothes and the apron itself was stained with grease from the piano’s mechanisms. She could only guess how her hair looked. 

“Elizabeth and I eat in the kitchen,” she said. “We are, after all, the help.” 

“That’s not fair,” he protested. “Each of you has a beautiful woman for company and I don’t have anyone. Please sit with me. I keep myself company all day and night. An hour with you would be the highlight of my day.” There was a pause, then Anna relented, in the interest of keeping her guest happy – at least so she told herself.   
“I cannot speak for Elizabeth, but I will be glad to join you,” she said. “For half an hour. No longer.” By the time she completed the short walk back to the kitchen, Elizabeth was standing there with the other plate and a mug for Anna. 

“Remember to speak up,” Elizabeth coached. “My ear will be to the door, but it’s still a good thirty feet away.” 

It had been several months since Hvitserk had any interest in impressing a woman. A natural charmer, Hvitserk complimented Anna’s appearance, her smile, her saloon and her cooking – even though he knew she wasn’t the cook. He smiled and made eye contact often. These were all techniques he used in successful business negotiations, and he was hoping to close a different kind of deal with Anna in short order. He told her of his career on the Grand Humber and the recent promotion that allowed him the perks of a private hotel room and a higher wage. Still, the company’s expansion plans dictated his lifestyle. He stopped short of revealing the full scope of his responsibilities, lest word get out to the owner of Sunrise Hill. 

Anna listened with genuine interest as he shared stories of his not so glamorous travels across the country. Everyone in town knew her story and as she felt her defences fall, she realized how good it felt to meet someone new, to talk about herself and to learn about someone else. The half hour easily evolved into an hour. As they finished their dinner, Hvitserk noticed a black mark on Anna’s face. Had it been there all evening, he wondered? The gentlemanly thing to do was to tell her. 

“Anna, pardon me, but, you’ve got a…” he rubbed his own cheek with his thumb. Anna, taking the hint, raised her napkin to her face and promptly spread the black mark across her cheek and chin. It was stubborn piano grease with no intention of leaving without a fight. 

“Is that better?” she asked, only slightly embarrassed. Actually, it was much worse. Hvitserk decided he would try, and took the napkin from Anna’s hand, dipped the tip into his water glass, and tried to gently wipe the mark from her cheek. Although it was awkward, Anna revelled in the intimacy. She closed her eyes and felt his warm hand against her soft cheek. She enjoyed his closeness until his caress hardened to a firm scraping. It was beginning to hurt! Hvitserk had spread the grease even wider and was having little success in removing the pesky smudge. As he pulled his hand away, a bright red cheek was revealed ─ still stained with a black blotch. He considered trying again just as the first patrons of the evening stepped through the door. Jansen and Shamus sauntered in and settled into their usual station in the corner. They didn’t take much notice of Hvitserk and Anna, but Anna certainly noticed them ─ the arrival of The Boys brought an abrupt end to their chat. She rose suddenly and began to clear the table. Hvitserk stood to help. 

“Please, leave this to me,” she insisted. “After all, this is my hotel. You are my guest and it is my job to serve you.” 

“Perhaps someday,” he offered with a broad smile, “you will allow me the pleasure of serving you.” Anna felt her tummy flutter at the prospect. Unable to stop smiling, she turned and quickly walked to the kitchen door with a spring in her step that was not there an hour ago. The laughter, the flirtation and the conversation had energized her. She felt more alive than she had in months. So distracted was she by her euphoria that she had forgotten Elizabeth awaited her return on the other side of the kitchen door. Her friend was perched against the stove, arms folded with an amused grin on her lips. With a concerned look not quite masking a huge smirk, Elizabeth asked, “What’s that in your eye?” Anna hesitated, remembering the grease on her cheek, but before she could reply Elizabeth broke in. “I think it’s a twinkle!”

“Did you listen to our entire conversation?” Anna scolded. 

“Well, yeah.” After Elizabeth took care of the saloon’s first patrons, the two old friends gossiped in the kitchen about the evening’s events. Elizabeth gently scrubbed and picked at Anna’s cheek until it was finally clean. “He’s okay if you like that type,” Elizabeth said again. 

“Oh, you still see him as that type?” 

“No, a different type now,” she elaborated. “Y’know, the charming, handsome, gentlemanly type. You’re right. I think I’ve changed my mind. I want him for myself now!” 

They chuckled youthfully and Anna blushed. Or was it just the chapped cheek? They continued their chat as they cleaned the kitchen and took turns serving the saloon’s patrons. Anna had forgotten how even the most mundane tasks were more fun after spending time with a handsome gentleman. No sooner had she put aside a spent soup bone, a lump of suet and scraps of fat, than she heard a familiar scratching at the back door. Like clockwork, Smokey was looking for remnants of the evening supper. 

“There you are,” Anna said, stooping to place the bowl before the twitching dog, gently smoothing its fur. “I had almost given up on you.” Smokey dove heartily into the awaiting meal. 

It turned out to be another quiet night at the Wild Rose. Anna would have welcomed a busy night to distract her from her thoughts. Instead, she let the memory of dining with Hvitserk swirl within her mind and she found herself growing quite comfortable with the thoughts. Could she really allow another man into her heart? Could Hvitserk be that man? To think this way so soon after meeting is folly. “Folly, maybe, but fun,” she said aloud for only herself to hear. 

The dull clang of the service bell rattled behind her. She looked over her shoulder to watch it sway. Elizabeth was sitting in the corner of the saloon twirling her long, brown hair and chatting casually with Jansen. They were sharing a laugh and Elizabeth hadn’t heard the bell. Anna’s heart quickened. She hadn’t expected an opportunity to see Hvitserk again so soon. Silently, Anna headed up the stairs and through the corridor to Hvitserk’s room, rapping gently on the door. Hvitserk’s smooth voice beckoned. Seated comfortably in a rocking chair in the  
corner he wore a thick, luxurious-looking black robe over navy blue pajamas. A surveyor’s map was spread across his lap and his charismatic grin welcomed Anna. 

“I was hoping you would be the one to answer my call,” he said smoothly. “Please, come in.” He rose from his chair as she entered. Although Anna wanted little more than to whisk into the room and shut the door behind her, she knew that propriety dictated she remain in full view of any passers-by. Hvitserk would always consider what happened next, one of the most grievous errors in judgment of his adult life. As he was changing his clothes earlier in the evening, he had noticed what appeared to be crumbs and dog hair on his pillow and bed sheets. Apparently, Hvitserk’s room had become a refuge for Smokey, who had used Hvitserk’s bed as a dinner table. Hvitserk wanted nothing more than clean bedding. Whether his decision to turn his request into a not-so-innocent flirtation was conscious or not, he would never be quite certain. 

“I was hoping you could help me with something over here on the bed,” Hvitserk quipped. Anna’s airy demeanour hardened ever so slightly at the apparently presumptuous remark. Exactly what message had she sent Hvitserk during dinner? 

“I beg your pardon?” Hvitserk immediately realized his error and could probably have salvaged the moment if not for his attempt to make light of it with a glib remark and a chuckle. 

“Well, you did say you were here to serve me, right?” He regretted saying it as soon as the words left his mouth. He could see by the color on Anna’s face that her internal temperature was quickly rising and not in a manner that was at all complimentary to his clumsy advances. 

“Mr. Lothbrok,” she growled, marching towards him and pointing an accusing finger, “precisely what kind of business do you think I am running here?” All at once, the years of clawing her way toward respectability in Prairie Gulch, the insulting whispers from the church gossips, the unwelcome propositions by unscrupulous men, came flooding back to her. She didn’t even consider trying to control the force of her rage. Hvitserk wasn’t helping. 

“Wait, wait, you don’t understand,” he stuttered. “It’s just that, these sheets seem to have been used─” 

“What are you implying?” she broke in. 

“Not so much slept in, but they’ve been soiled.” 

“Listen to me, sir, and listen well,” she stammered angrily. Sheepishly, Hvitserk listened. “I don’t know what impression you were given of me or my hotel when you arrived on my doorstep, but let me make one thing perfectly clear: This is a respectable hotel and a refuge for respectable people. If you had some illicit service in mind for your entertainment in Prairie Gulch then I think you would be more comfortable elsewhere.” 

“No, no. I’m… really… just…” Hvitserk was the only one speaking now and he still couldn’t get a word in edgewise. There was no recovering from this. Not tonight.   
Anna wheeled and headed out the door, brushing past a bewildered Elizabeth who had bound upstairs to investigate the commotion. She looked at Anna marching down the hallway and then into the room at Hvitserk, who was experiencing his last regret of the evening. Earlier, when putting on his robe, he had failed to cinch the tie with a proper knot. In all the tumult, he hadn’t noticed the tie give way. He stood dumbfounded before Elizabeth with his robe gaping open. Although his pajamas hid everything from view, the implication was apparent. 

“I trust next time you will take care to close your robe when in the presence of a lady,” Elizabeth said haughtily before slamming the door behind her and catching up with her friend.


	4. Chapter 4

After another restless night, Anna tended to her morning chores with vigor and, despite the lack of sleep, found herself energized by her disappointment with Hvitserk. She had vowed never to allow her heart to be taken by another man. Then with one look into those green eyes, she’d almost fallen again. From now on, she promised herself, she would devote herself to her work and to her reputation – two things she knew would not let her down. With each push of her broom against the floor or swipe of her rag against the bar, she punished herself for letting her guard down with Hvitserk. Her heart and life partner was the Wild Rose. 

It should have come as no surprise, she told herself, that Hvitserk would be so forward with her. He was a man, after all. He spent much of his time on the road. Given his charm and good looks, he probably had no problem bedding women in every town. Even when I’m angry with him, I still compliment him. Anna scolded herself again for this thought. Hvitserk’s entry into the saloon that morning was greeted coolly. Anna and Elizabeth were both cleaning, and neither bothered to acknowledge his presence. Anna was behind the bar dusting when he approached carrying his black suitcase. 

“Could we step outside and talk?” he whispered. 

“There is nothing to talk about,” Anna declined haughtily. “Unless you want breakfast, in which case Elizabeth will…” she looked at her watch with mock sadness, “Oh no…I’m afraid you’re too late for that, too.” She turned back to continue her dusting. 

“Come on, don’t be like that,” Hvitserk pleaded “I’ve been thinking about last night and I can explain…” 

“I’m not interested in your explanation,” she interrupted. “I am only interested in running my hotel and saloon. Nothing else interests me in the least.” Actually, she was interested – interested in what possible explanation he might have for his behavior. She would allow him to explain if he asked just once more. Nicely. She raised one eyebrow expectantly. 

“I can’t believe you are being so pig-headed,” he snapped. “All I want is a moment to explain what happened – the same courtesy I would extend to you if the tables were turned. Now you are acting like an overly-emotional woman.” That wasn’t nicely enough for Anna. 

“I beg your pardon?” she gasped. 

“You heard me. If you run your business the way you run your personal affairs, then it amazes me that you have a roof over your head. I’m not accustomed to dealing with women in business circles, but if they’re all like you, the business world is in deep trouble!” Anna was keeping a checklist in her head. He had insulted how she runs her personal life, how she runs her business and in the process, insulted women everywhere. This was certainly in stark contrast to last night’s dinner conversation.

“Are you about finished, Mr. Lothbrok?” she said frostily. Hvitserk took a deep breath. He immediately realized that he had gone too far. In fact, he had done what he just accused her of doing; letting his emotions dictate his words and actions. He looked at his shoes, at the bar and anywhere except at Anna’s ice cold hazel eyes. 

“I won’t be here for the next couple of days,” he finally said. “I’ll be staying at the worker’s camp until Friday. I’m leaving my things here, if that’s okay.” He chanced a glance at Anna’s face. 

“Fine,” Anna said. “Enjoy your time with the men,” she added with a touch of sarcasm. 

Grimacing at her tone, he turned and dragged himself through the door. Fifteen minutes earlier, Hvitserk had convinced himself he could smooth things over with Anna. Now, he doubted fifteen years would give him time to do so. 

Anna tried all day to distract herself with chores. She cleaned, tightened, polished and organized everything she could get her hands on – anything at all to keep her hands moving and her mind occupied. It didn’t work. She kept seeing Hvitserk’s face and hearing his words over and over again. 

Later that afternoon, while making her cleaning rounds, Elizabeth eventually made her way to Hvitserk’s room. Hobbling through the doorway, weighed down with linens and a basin filled with fresh water, she spied Smokey perched atop Hvitserk’s pillow, gnawing on the discarded soup bone from the previous night’s stew. Smokey, never known for etiquette, was surrounded by hair and bits of meat and gristle. Elizabeth promptly shooed the dog away, revealing an unappealing smear that had obviously been there for more than a day. After changing the sheets, Elizabeth tracked down Anna to report her findings. Aghast, Anna recalled every word Hvitserk had used during their argument. Now the words meant something entirely different. Something over here on the bed… these sheets seem to have been used… soiled. As swiftly as contempt for Hvitserk had overwhelmed her last night, she as quickly felt the fool. 

Hvitserk spent the day in a foul mood. He was short and abrupt with the stable hands at Thurmont’s Livery when he asked for a horse and was inexplicably upset when one was available. He grumbled at the horse all the way to the work-site, lamenting the bumpy ride she was offering. Upon his arrival, he complained about the quality of the breakfast, the number of flies in the air and the intensity of the midmorning sun. His first meeting of the day was with the real construction foreman. 

“It looks like we could have rain in the next day or two,” Hvitserk grumbled. “I don’t want your men using the weather as an excuse to put us behind schedule.” The foreman, taken aback by Hvitserk’s disposition, informed him that in less than a week, railroad construction was already two days ahead of schedule. This seemed to irritate Hvitserk even more, much to the bewilderment of all, including himself. Finally, he retreated to a table in the mess tent with a stack of papers and a mug of the worst coffee he had ever tasted.   
His leather case was, as always, at his feet like a beloved pet. Left alone with his thoughts as he reviewed surveyor maps, Hvitserk admitted to himself that his most recent encounter with Anna had soured his mood. What he had difficulty understanding was why a simple argument, with a woman he hardly knew, would make him so out of sorts. Perhaps he was simply disappointed that what appeared to be a blossoming relationship had dissolved so quickly. Was he offended by what Anna implied regarding his intentions? Or did he simply regret how he reacted - criticizing her as a businesswoman. The truth behind his surly mood, he suspected, was likely a combination of all those factors. 

From where he sat in the mess tent, he could see Sunrise Hill. He had found himself looking up at it frequently and painfully remembering the morning he had met Anna returning from the clearing. The future had looked better then, but if he needed a further excuse to call it a bad day, he was holding it. Hvitserk shook his head in an effort to clear his muddled thoughts and closed his eyes tightly. Opening them quickly, he was dismayed to find the information in his hand had not changed. The day he had discovered Anna on the path to Sunrise Hill, and had enjoyed such a lovely supper with her, he had acquired a copy of a deed that stated Harvey Douglas owned the land beside the hotel and saloon.   
The document now before him – a document dated five years after the one in his room – listed Anna White as the owner! Hvitserk shuddered at the prospect of now having to return to the Wild Rose to negotiate the purchase of Anna’s land.


	5. Chapter 5

Anna lay in bed, reliving the events of the past few days. It was late Thursday night and Hvitserk was due to return the following day. Outside, a relentless rainfall was assaulting the wooden roof of the hotel. With her window ajar, she could hear the rain beating upon the windowsill. The old building was built so soundly Anna never worried about leaks during even the most torrential of downpours. This usually gave her mind the luxury of losing itself in the sound of the rain, letting its beat lull her into a deep, peaceful slumber.   
However, on this night, it seemed nothing could distract her from the confusion that had taken place under her roof this past week. Dissatisfied with simply tossing and turning on her pillow, she frequently rose and sauntered to the window, only to turn with a sigh and return to bed. She didn’t know what she wanted and nothing felt comfortable. Smokey, resting dutifully at the foot of her bed, was Anna’s dance partner throughout the night ─ getting up when she got up ─ lying back down when Anna did. 

Downstairs, the grandfather clock struck twice and Anna once again rose and paced around the room, restlessness overpowering her need to sleep. While peering out her window, Anna heard her bedroom door creak open and she turned to see Elizabeth’s head peak through the crack. 

“Hey,” Elizabeth said, “I can hear you creaking around all the way up in my room.” 

“Sorry,” Anna ran her fingers through her black tresses. “I didn’t mean to keep you up. I thought I was being quiet.” She lit a candle on the nightstand next to her bed and sat down with a sigh. Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed next to her and looked sympathetically at her best friend. 

“What has you so upset tonight?” she asked, knowing full well what the answer was. 

Anna paused a moment before responding, simply, “Hvitserk.” 

“Uh – huh,” Elizabeth said. “I thought as much. What about Hvitserk is keeping you awake tonight? Are you nervous about apologizing to him for the fuss over the bedroom scene?” 

“Well, yes,” Anna answered. “Not only did I jump to the wrong conclusion when he called me to his room that night, but then I acted silly and petulant when he tried to explain.” She  
sighed. “I’m so embarrassed. What must he think?” 

“I imagine he thinks that he also acted badly and is trying to figure out a way to apologize to you as well,” Elizabeth said. “Let’s not forget he said some pretty nasty things to you, you know. I think something about you being a bad business woman came up and─” 

“Yes. Yes, I know.” Anna interrupted, “but I’m sure that my poor behavior brought that on.” Anna paused, “Oh Elizabeth, what am I to say to him?” 

“Umm, ‘I’m sorry’ would be a good start.” Anna grimaced. 

“You know what I mean. Where do I start? Sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion about me and your bed…Sorry I thought you were the worst type of cad… Sorry that when you tried to explain I was rude…” 

Elizabeth laughed at the pained expression on her friend’s face, “I think sticking with, I’m sorry” may be your best bet.” 

Anna sighed, “But then what will he say?” 

“If he’s the gentleman you think he is, he’ll accept.” 

“But then what will I say─” 

“Hold on!” Elizabeth interrupted. “I didn’t know we were planning the whole conversation here! No wonder you can’t sleep – you’re planning your words and his words and then all the words at once!” Elizabeth grinned at her friend, “I don’t think it works that way, love.” She continued, “Maybe if you did a little less planning you’d sleep better.” Anna always knew when Elizabeth was right. 

“Fine,” she huffed. “No more planning for me. No more thinking things through. From now on, I’ll just take things as they happen and make the best of it.” 

“Well now,” Elizabeth replied, sitting up straight and smoothing the wrinkles in the lap of her night dress. “I bet you hadn’t planned on saying that tonight,” Anna giggled, and Elizabeth continued, “I just hope you didn’t make yourself a promise you can’t keep.” The grandfather clock chimed again downstairs. “Feel better?” Elizabeth asked, standing up. “Because I need to get some sleep.” 

“Thank you, Elizabeth.” Anna smiled. “You’ve been a big help, as usual.” Elizabeth blew out the candle and stepped into the dimly lit hallway. Anna called out to her, “Next time we talk, it’s going to be about you and Jansen, not me and Hvitserk.” Through the darkness, she could see Elizabeth flash a toothy grin before she closed the door and returned to her own room. 

With Elizabeth’s words still on her mind, Anna went to the window and wistfully stared out at the sky. The rain had stopped. The full moon, having emerged from behind the clouds, cast long shadows over the street. She felt confident of only two things: the rain had stopped and she would not sleep a wink. Too impatient to wait for the break of day, she plucked a warm jacket from the heap of clothes on her dressing chair and glided to the door. Smokey dutifully followed close behind. Quietly padding out the back door, Anna carefully picked her way across the rear yard trying, but failing, to avoid the several puddles that littered her path. 

After only a few steps the souls of her feet were coated with pebbles and mud. She was warm and dry from her neck to her knees, but from her shins down, she felt the wetness and cold of the damp night. The moon’s reflections in the puddles played with her mind. It was a little scary but invigorating. Her heart raced. She plodded along the small path through the dense trees to her secret hideaway. Although the rain had stopped, the drenched tree boughs continued to sprinkle raindrops all around her. The dense, dry woodlot had been transformed into a thick rainforest. 

By the time she reached the clearing, her curly, black hair was dripping and clung to her forehead. The water droplets had beaded on her coat and she was thankful she had worn it. Smokey was soaked, but stayed steadfastly by her side looking like a wet fur-ball propelled by four sticks She spied a dry stump hidden under a canopy of tree branches and sat and peered out over the horizon. To the east she could see the glow of the Grand Humber construction site. Crews were working around the clock and had wasted little time after the rainfall ended to return to their labors. Anna could see the glow of a bonfire and random dots of light moving about the site. If she sat still and filtered out the sounds of the rustling trees, she could hear the distant clank of sledge hammers pounding spikes into the ground. 

As she smoothed her pet’s matted fur, she scanned the route the railroad would take. In about a week, the main-line construction would be complete and they would pick up their camp and move it a couple of miles west, out of her view. It would carry Hvitserk away with it. This view, for so many years her sanctuary, was now her time clock. By the time that glow from the campsite travelled from east to west, Anna knew her life could undergo an extraordinary change.


	6. Chapter 6

The Wild Rose boasted one of the only showers in Prairie Gulch. A grateful but penniless guest had built it for Anna in exchange for an extended stay at the hotel. The shower consisted of a rain barrel on a raised platform with a spout leading into a shower stall constructed from old barn-board. The bather loaded the barrel with steaming hot water from the stove and then added cool water to moderate the temperature. Although the stall was outdoors and open at the top and bottom, the user was well concealed by four walls that exposed only the bather’s feet to an outside observer. Anna most appreciated the shower on mornings like this. She had awakened with a chill in her bones ─ the product of a restless night and a midnight-stroll through the rain-soaked woods. 

Standing under the showerhead, she closed her eyes and tugged at the chain to feel the steaming water cascade over her head and onto her shoulders; the warmth flowing down over her entire body. After thoroughly soaking in the heat, she tugged again, lifting her face to meet the waterfall. Warm water surged down her arms and over her breasts and stomach, finally landing in a warm puddle at her feet. She felt the cold in her bones slowly subside. Her solitude this early morning was only temporary. It wasn’t long before she heard heavy footsteps approach the stall from the direction of the saloon. It certainly didn’t sound like Elizabeth. She froze and listened. 

“Are you going to be much longer?” the voice mumbled wearily. It was Hvitserk. It seemed every time they met Anna was caught in some state of casual dress. She decided to pretend she hadn’t heard him and continue enjoying her shower. “Excuse me,” Hvitserk piped up. “I don’t mean to be rude, but do you know how long you will be?” He sounded tired, irritated and, if at all possible, more than a little dusty. 

“Mr. Lothbrok, you have returned,” Anna chirped, squeezing the water from her curly, black hair. Hvitserk stepped back, alarmed, his earlier confrontation with his hostess still fresh in his mind. 

“Anna… um… Miss White,” he stammered. “I had no idea it was you.” He raised his hand to shield his eyes even though he could see nothing above her ankle bones. “I’m sorry. I’ll return later.” 

“How was your trip?” she asked in a voice as saturated with calm and friendliness as her skin was with heat. She had turned a corner the night before and was now accelerating her stride. Hvitserk babbled his answer. 

“I was overseeing construction on the railroad. It’s going well. I must say though, the food was no match for Elizabeth’s and my cot felt hard as a rock compared to the cozy bed in my room here.” He grimaced at the mention of the bed. 

“You must have missed the dog hairs?” she replied with a grin. She was enjoying this. Even though she was sheltered from his view and her back was turned to his voice, being naked with him standing so near stimulated her. Hvitserk grinned too, relieved that the tension between them had eased. His green eyes alternated between the solid wood stall, Anna’s bare feet and his own mud-caked boots. 

“Perhaps, if it’s not too much trouble, you could direct me to few places here in Prairie Gulch. I have some business to conduct today after I shower and get cleaned up.” Anna had begun to pat herself dry with a soft towel. 

“I would be more than happy to escort you on your errands, Mr. Lothbrok. You can meet me in the saloon at ten o’clock. I will be finished here in just a few moments. There is plenty of hot water left.” Hvitserk tipped his hat to the shower and turned on his heels. Thinking for a moment, he stopped and turned back. 

“Miss White, I may regret asking this, but how is it that you were so uncomfortable in my room the other night, yet perfectly at home speaking with me here when you are so obviously, well… naked.” Anna chuckled softly to herself, then turned around in the booth. On her tiptoes and peering over the top of the shower door, she saw Hvitserk shield his eyes. She had imagined this look on Hvitserk’s face and she was right. 

“Well,” she said coyly, “let’s just say that this is the new Anna White. What do you think, so far?” Great, he thought to himself. I had a hard enough time figuring out the old Anna. Now I have to figure out a new one? 

“Ten o’clock then,” he said aloud, sounding slightly puzzled. “Ten o’clock.” 

Just before the clock struck ten Hvitserk sauntered into the saloon. He adjusted his jacket, smoothed his short, blonde hair and scanned the room for Anna. She had not arrived yet, but The Boys had settled into a mid-morning game of cards. Having a few moments, Hvitserk walked to their table hoping to gather information about his companion for the day. 

“Starting a little early today, aren’t you boys?” he teased. 

“Is it early?” Shamus quipped. “It’s actually quite late for someone who has been here all night.” The Boys all laughed heartily. 

“You’ve been here all night?” Hvitserk asked sincerely. 

“You might say that,” Festus said. “You’d be wrong, but you might say that just the same.” They all laughed again, more boisterously than before. They seemed to be picking up and laying down cards randomly without paying attention to them. Oh, these guys are hilarious, Hvitserk thought to himself, with more than a little sarcasm. 

“So, have you gentlemen known Anna a long time?” he began. They all nodded and grunted their replies in the affirmative. “Then you must know how she ended up owning this saloon.” The Boys peered at each other from behind their cards. 

“It’s really not a very interesting story,” Jansen offered. 

“I think it’s very interesting,” Elmer barked suddenly. “She won it in a poker game. Greatest bluff I ever did see. She was carrying a pair of threes, nothing more. Don’t you ever play cards with that woman. Mark my words.” To emphasize his point, he turned and spit a long stream of tobacco juice out the open window. Hvitserk leaned against a chair and considered this rather astonishing bit of news. 

“Really?” he said. “A poker game? I would never have thought of Anna as the gambling type.” 

“Don’t listen to him,” Festus said. “She didn’t win this place in no card game. It was a gunfight.” The Boys immediately broke into another round of laughter. 

“Oh yeah,” Shamus chimed in. “It was Anna and old man Douglas, the previous owner. Something about this bar not being big enough for the two of ‘em. They met at the town square at noon one day and, well, the rest is history.” Laughter again spread freely around the table. Hvitserk realized he wasn’t going to get any information from these guys, although he did recognize the name Douglas as the previous owner. 

“Okay, boys you’ve had your fun,” Hvitserk said. “It’s just I’m worried about saying the wrong thing to Anna. I’d like to get to know her a bit better.” From out of nowhere Anna’s voice broke into the conversation. 

“Mr. Lothbrok, I hope you are not talking about a lady behind her back.” He spun on his heels, but saw that Anna was wearing a broad grin and appearing every bit as playful as she had in the shower stall. “We should get going,” she said. “Our chariot awaits.” 

Minutes later, Hvitserk and Anna clambered onto a two-seater buggy and began the rough ride down the dirt lanes of Prairie Gulch. Their horse was long in the tooth, but well suited for a trip around town and Anna was well-acquainted with her trotting style. Anna clutched the reins comfortably as Hvitserk sat uneasily by her side. 

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to take over?” he asked nervously. “I really don’t mind.” 

“Mr. Lothbrok, are you uncomfortable being seen in a buggy with a woman at the reins?” she teased. 

“No, not at all, it’s just that─” Hvitserk never got to finish the sentence, for at that moment the buggy bumped over a deep rut in the road, rose two feet in the air and crashed back with a bone jarring thud. Hvitserk grabbed his hat with one hand and his case with the other. Anna grinned and looked as casual as ever. 

“I’m not running her too fast for you, am I, Mr. Lothbrok? I had the impression you had a lot to do today and that time was of the essence.” 

“When are you going to start calling me Hvitserk again?” he replied. 

She smiled and kept her eyes straight ahead. The road led them through the main stretch of Prairie Gulch and over rocky terrain to the edge of a ranch where Doc Shutt, the town’s physician, ran his clinic. This was just the first of many stops Hvitserk needed to make. Before the day was out, he and Anna would criss-cross Prairie Gulch three times, visiting a surveyor, the post office, the telegraph office, the savings and loan company and a lawyer. As Hvitserk tended to business, Anna tended to the horse, brushing its mane and whispering sweetly in its ear. Anna tried to look busy while peeking out of the corner of her eye at Hvitserk conducting his business. At every stop he took his suitcase with him and while on the buggy, he kept it at his feet. Anna was growing more and more curious about its contents. Probably nothing more the bills and receipts for the construction project, she surmised to herself. But I sure would like to see him open it sometime. 

In the office of Percival McKillet, the barrister and solicitor for Prairie Gulch, Hvitserk attempted to sort out the ownership of Sunrise Hill. Mr. McKillet had practiced law in Prairie Gulch for so long that his name appeared on almost all the town’s legal documents. 

“Sunrise Hill?” Mr. McKillet asked. “Oh. You must mean Harvey’s Haven. Yes, it used to belong to Harvey Douglas, but he died a few years back and I believe he willed it to Anna White with the hotel and saloon… but now wait, it was a little complicated.” McKillet paused and Hvitserk held his breath. “No, no, I think Anna also received the land.” He shook his head. “So many clients over the years – it’s difficult to keep them all straight.” 

“So, Anna is the owner,” Hvitserk said. His heart sank as he uttered the words. He had half convinced himself that there had been a clerical error in the most recent deed documents he had received. Now it appeared that he would have to negotiate with Anna, just when things had begun to warm between them. 

“I don’t know about that,” Mr. McKillet added. “I was Harvey’s lawyer, not Anna’s. For all I know, she’s turned around and sold it to someone else.” 

“Then who is Anna’s lawyer?” Hvitserk asked. “You’re the only one in town, aren’t you?” 

“Well son,” McKillet said dryly. “There are lawyers in other towns. And some folks don’t use lawyers at all.” Hvitserk pondered this. The solution was becoming clearer, no matter how unpalatable it may be. As Hvitserk thought it, Mr. McKillet spoke the solution. “Have you considered asking her?” the lawyer inquired, his eye twinkling and his moustache curling into a knowing grin. Hvitserk tipped his hat and thanked Mr. McKillet for his time. 

Throughout their travels that day, Hvitserk managed to hide the nature of his business from Anna. He carried rolls of maps and surveyor charts and did his best to make it all seem important, but he remained vague whenever she pressed for details. Anna didn’t know if he really was conducting vital transactions or merely putting on airs. Either way, she chose to feel impressed. On one of their jaunts, Anna showed Hvitserk the school she had attended as a child and into her early teens. As they rumbled past the school, Anna noticed a familiar figure in the building’s shadows. Sitting on a blanket under a tree was her best friend, Elizabeth, enjoying what appeared to be, a very cozy picnic with Jansen. The two were a respectable distance from each other, but they were obviously far too interested in each other to notice the carriage or any passer-by. Anna made a mental note to press Elizabeth about her relationship with Jansen. 

The more she talked with Hvitserk, the more she wanted to share with him. She eagerly pointed out the general store, where, as a child, she ran errands for her mother and bought candy. She spoke of her first work experience, first horse, first kiss and first love. She even revealed a few scant details of relationships in her adult life. 

“When I marry a man, I want him to marry me. Not work. Not adventure. I want to be first and foremost in his life. I don’t need to be doted on, but if I’m going to be left alone anyway, I may as well keep my own name until someone comes along who wants to spend his time with me.” She paused and wondered why she had shared this with him. Hvitserk took his turn revealing bits of his own life; school days, first jobs and people he had met in his travels. He did his best to match Anna story for story. They enjoyed one another’s company and took advantage of every moment to explore each other’s colorful backgrounds. By late afternoon Hvitserk, Anna and the horse were worn from their travels. The horse took one last trip on the hard, dusty road through Prairie Gulch on route back to the livery stables. As the carriage rolled past the Wild Rose, Anna could see the opening in the woods behind the hotel that led to Sunrise Hill. It was time, she thought, for a little spontaneity.

“How about a picnic?” she asked. “Or have you had enough of my company for one day?” Hvitserk smiled. 

“I can think of no better way to complete such a perfect day.” He had decided to tell Anna about his true business in Prairie Gulch. A picnic dinner seemed as good a place as any. 

Although Sunrise Hill favored the east, it also offered a picturesque view of the sunset. As Anna and Hvitserk spread a blanket over the grass, the sky gradually became awash in shades of fiery oranges, pinks and purples. The stunning natural image by far overpowered the growing presence of modern industry. After spending all day talking, Hvitserk and Anna found themselves content to sit in silence, munching occasionally from the picnic supper Elizabeth had packed for them. 

“I just adore it here,” Anna finally spoke up. “I sit on this hill, look out at the world and everything makes sense to me. Or if it doesn’t make sense, suddenly it doesn’t matter. Do you know what I mean?” Hvitserk nodded. It meant that buying this property from Anna wasn’t going to be easy. He also knew that if they kept finding themselves in romantic settings it was going to be difficult to keep things businesslike when it came time to negotiate a deal. 

When they had first arrived on the hill, and looked out on the horizon, their shoulders barely grazed each other. Gradually, as the evening progressed and the shadows began to lengthen, the couple drifted closer so that their forearms touched and they could feel each other’s warmth. Hvitserk slipped his arm behind Anna and she laid her head on his shoulder. Like the sun on the horizon, so went their defences: downward, slowly and surely. Hvitserk placed his hand on Anna’s knee and they felt their hearts race. It was their first kiss and they both knew what was about to occur. The world suddenly seemed to move in slow motion as Hvitserk drew nearer ─ with eyes closed, their noses nestled against each other and their lips paused on the threshold of a kiss. At long last, Hvitserk’s lips fell upon hers. Anna eagerly accepted him, feeling the warmth and softness turn to need and passion. He leaned further into her, and could feel her breath quicken. 

Taking the cue, his lips tenderly traced the shell of her ear, down the curve of her neck, then delicately outlined the fine lace of her dress that lay between her breasts. Hvitserk felt her stiffen slightly. The feeling of Hvitserk’s lips against her breast had awakened a desire she’d not felt in so very long. Her curvaceous body responded immediately to his touch and it was difficult to resist giving herself completely to his advances. Anna reached for his head. “That’s quite far enough for one night, Mr. Lothbrok.” She sighed half-heartedly. Without a word, they fell back together onto the blanket. He lowered his athletic body over hers and pinned her hands against the cool ground so he could kiss her again with more passion. They lay like this – drinking each other in, playfully tugging and exploring without fully unveiling themselves to each other – until the last licks of daylight finally gave way to the soft kiss of the moon.


	7. Chapter 7

Riding back from the construction site two days later, Hvitserk used the solitude of the trail to contemplate his last evening with Anna. It had been two days since their tumble in the grass on Sunrise Hill, two days since he had caressed her soft curves and it had been two days since he had fallen under her charm. Smiling at the memories of that evening and the passion they had shared, Hvitserk’s smile soon turned to a frown. He knew he had allowed himself to cross the line in his dealings with Anna. He was, after all, in Prairie Gulch on business. That business involved the land adjacent to the Wild Rose. It did not, he admonished himself, include romancing the owner. 

Hvitserk had spent the better part of the last two days trying to confirm the exact ownership of Sunrise Hill. His search had taken him on a trip to the county records office, but, try as he might, he was no closer to the answer than when he had left. The only indicator of who really owned the land beside the Wild Rose was the information he had already gleaned from the lawyer in Prairie Gulch. If it was true that Anna owned the land then negotiating got a lot more complicated as of two nights ago. His thoughts were interrupted by the realization that he was approaching the outskirts of Prairie Gulch. Ahead of him, he could see Sunrise Hill. Hvitserk let his horse rest a moment as he surveyed the area.   
He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his blonde hair. It had been a long, hot ride. He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, smearing the day’s grit across his brow. The dirt of the trail covered him from head to foot and he hoped he’d have a chance to clean up before he saw Anna. With a smile, he remembered his last shower at the Wild Rose and his body warmed at the memory of Anna so close and so naked. Contemplating the job he had yet to finish, he sighed as he looked at Sunrise Hill. Suddenly, the ground began to tremble and Hvitserk’s horse snorted. The thunderous pounding of hoof-beats mixed with the frightened cry of stampeding cattle filled the air. Hvitserk turned in the saddle, his jaw dropped, and he stared with widening eyes at the scene unfolding before him. Charging in front of a billowing cloud of dust, fifty head of cattle raced towards Prairie Gulch. It was a stampede! 

The schoolhouse at the edge of town! Hvitserk thought, as he kicked his horse into motion, watching in horror as the cattle hurtled towards town. On the flanks of the herd, outriders were desperately trying to stem the destructive tide. Brave cowboys, seemingly oblivious to the dangers, tried to ride out in front of the herd with guns blazing. Hvitserk rode directly into the path of the charging herd, drew his revolver and began firing into the air. His mount reared up as the cattle neared, but Hvitserk continued to fire. The ranch hands were making ground nearing the front of the herd when suddenly the animals veered and, with the combined efforts of Hvitserk and the ranch hands, the stampede was successfully diverted. The wranglers followed the cattle, rounding up the strays and directing the herd further away from town. Hvitserk began to relax and leaned down to gently stroke his horse’s flank to calm his animal. Just as Hvitserk sat upright, he caught sight of a small group of cattle that had broken away from the herd. Obscured by the dust cloud, this small band of renegades had escaped unnoticed. Led by a fearsome brute of a bull, the brazen behemoths were now charging headlong towards the main street of Prairie Gulch. Hvitserk raised his hat, and with a howl and a holler to the other cowboys, spurred his horse towards the runaway animals. 

At the Wild Rose, Elizabeth sat in the saloon, preparing beans for dinner and chatting with Anna who, once again, was battling with the inner workings of the player piano. Both friends seemed to be in particularly good moods. Anna decided it was time to satisfy her curiosity about Elizabeth and her beau. 

“So, did you enjoy your picnic with Jansen the other day?” Anna’s voice was muffled from inside the belly of the piano. Elizabeth grinned as she transferred a scoop of beans from a bushel basket on the floor to the table top. 

“Yes. I did,” she responded after a moment. A long pause followed. 

“Well?” Anna exclaimed, rising from the bowels of the piano. “Do tell ─ what exactly is going on?” 

“There isn’t much to say,” Elizabeth teased. “Nothing is cooking at the moment, but they do seem to be heating up.” 

“It looked more like a slow boil to me,” Anna chirped. “I thought Jansen was a little too, how should I put it, working class, for your tastes?” 

“Well, let’s just say that tastes can change.” Holding a bean before her like a chalice at high mass, Elizabeth continued, “When I was a little girl, and my mother served me green beans, I couldn’t stand the taste. But now, now that I’m older, I can appreciate the quality of a firm, ripe bean.” She placed the bean between her teeth and bit through it, chewing heartily before popping the remainder into her mouth. “You and Hvitserk were certainly on your picnic late into the evening,” Elizabeth probed, changing the subject. 

“I didn’t think I’d packed that much food.” Anna’s head dove back inside the piano as she resumed her work, whacking at its mechanism noisily. 

“I know you can hear me,” Elizabeth bellowed above the racket. Anna emerged from the piano again, her black hair mussed and a fresh smudge of grease on her forehead. 

“I took your advice,” she said at last. “I didn’t plan anything. It just happened.” Elizabeth was shocked. 

“You didn’t…” 

“Oh, of course not!” Anna promised. “Never on the first picnic!” Elizabeth chuckled and shook her head, but grumbled quietly to herself. True, she had advised her friend to be more openminded, but she knew Anna was an all-or-nothing type of woman. She did nothing halfway and that included falling into pleasure and tumbling into despair. Sensing Elizabeth’s concern, Anna tried to assure her. 

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything crazy,” she said. “There’s something about him that I don’t quite understand. It feels like he’s hiding something, but I have no idea what it could be.” 

“You think he’s married?” 

“No, it’s not another woman. I think it has something to do with work. He always gets so evasive whenever the topic comes up.” Anna turned her attention back to her piano. Expectantly, she flicked a switch and nothing happened. She flicked it off and on and still nothing. Frustrated, she smacked the piano drum with the palm of her hand. At her wit’s end with the stubborn instrument, she leaned back and heaved a sharp kick against the base of the machine. With a clunk and a whir, the piano whined to life and began playing one of its many familiar tunes. 

“Hey, what do you think about that?” Anna said, beaming. “And I did it all by myself, too!” 

“Bull!” Anna gasped at Elizabeth’s language. “Elizabeth! You saw me working night and day on it! What do you mean─” 

“I mean bull!” Elizabeth stared with saucer-like eyes past Anna and through the window to the street outside. “There’s a bull!”   
Jumping up, Elizabeth backed away, inadvertently knocking her bowl of beans to the floor, while Anna wheeled and stared out the window. Outside the Wild Rose the scene was pure chaos. People were running every which way. Babies were screaming, men were shouting and young children clutched tightly to their mothers’ skirts. A massive black bull, surrounded by half a dozen cattle, had come to a tenuous halt on the street in front of the hotel. The bull, its hide glistening with sweat and its black eyes glowering, snorted and pawed at the ground. Massive horns, the size of a man’s arm, swirled treacherously in the air with each toss of its head. Not twenty feet away from the beast, a woman with a baby cowered against a fence. Fear filled the woman’s eyes; her limbs were frozen with fright. She clutched convulsively at the baby in her arms, burying the child’s head into her shoulder. The bull turned towards them and the other cattle followed. 

With a bellowing snort, the big, black beast shook its head, spraying white foam from it’s mouth and nostrils. The other cattle circled each other drawing ever nearer the screaming baby and her mother. Into the middle of the bedlam rode Hvitserk. Using his horse and his own body, he blocked the route to the woman and child, riding between them and the cattle. He reared his mount, waved his hat and screamed at the cattle until the small herd turned and hurtled back towards the oncoming cowboys who had followed Hvitserk’s lead. From her vantage point at the Wild Rose, Anna could see that one ornery animal still remained. The bull commanded the street, its ferocity unabated. For a moment, it stared in the direction of the retreating cattle and then abruptly turned its rage back to the woman and her child, still frozen with fear against the wall. Hvitserk was drawn away by the stampeding cattle that had abruptly changed direction and were now racing uncontrollably toward a crowd of scurrying townspeople. It was mass pandemonium and as Hvitserk galloped towards the animals he drew his gun and fired into the air hoping to divert them. Anna knew that she had to do something before the lone bull charged the woman and child. Ripping off her apron, she raced out the door waving and shouting at the beast. 

“Hey! Hey!” She knew that spooking the animal would make it more unstable, but she was desperate to get its attention. In a heartbeat, the bull turned its crazed gaze towards the entrance of the Wild Rose and Anna. The two stared each other down in a brief showdown as Anna continued to madly wave her apron. Anna’s heart raced and her head pounded with adrenaline while the mechanical piano played an ironically playful tune in the background. With a leap that caught Anna off guard, the bull charged! Only a few steps ahead, Anna scrambled back inside the saloon with the bull in pursuit. The mighty animal powered its way through the doorway, shattering the frame as it plunged into the saloon. A dust cloud followed in its destructive wake. Elizabeth screamed and attempted to climb over the bar but slipped and fell. The bull, drawn by the scream, turned her way. 

Paralyzed with fright Elizabeth lay helplessly sprawled on the saloon floor. Seeing her friend in trouble, Anna took hold of a chair and shouted wildly at the bull. The animal turned towards her again and stood morbidly still, watching Anna slowly back away with the chair in front of her. When it seemed the bull was preparing to charge, Anna threw the chair at him in a feeble attempt to scare the wild animal. The chair cracked ineffectively against the bull’s skull and dangled on the edge of its horn, further agitating the crazed beast. As he lunged towards Anna, she dove for cover behind the piano. Elizabeth screamed as the bull’s horns speared the hull of the piano. The piano’s jovial tune groaned to a halt as the massive instrument careened forward, violently knocking Anna to her back. The bull’s horns had become entangled in the machinery of the piano. Suddenly, the piano moved upward into the air and Anna held her breath as the instrument rose above her. Shaking its powerful head to and fro, bucking up and down and spraying pieces of wood and bits of metal around the saloon, the enraged animal could not shake the piano free. 

Seeing a chance to escape as the bull dragged itself and the piano around the saloon, Anna and Elizabeth ran madly for the door and out onto the street. They were met by a circle of onlookers who had witnessed the battle from outside the saloon but who had been afraid to shoot the animal for fear of injuring the two women trapped within. Feeling weak and disorientated, Anna saw Hvitserk emerge from the crowd and instinctively rushed into his grasp. His strong arms cradled her against his chest. 

“Hvitserk, are you all right? Where are the other cattle?” she lifted her head looking around anxiously. Hvitserk cupped her head in his hands and guided it to his chest, hugging her tightly, quietly assuring her. 

“I’m fine.” He stroked her hair comfortingly. “The wranglers have the rest of the cattle corralled. Relax…” he crooned, holding her closely. Anna rested her head against his chest and reveled in the feeling of being cared for and safe. The bull’s wranglers appeared and four of them, with rope and shotguns ready, rushed inside the saloon. After many minutes of harried commotion and the sound of more breaking wood, the bull was triumphantly led from the saloon, finally subdued. Splinters of wood covered its back and head, but confined in the ropes, the animal bore little resemblance to the fire breathing monster of minutes before. One of the men, dust-covered and bleeding from a gash on his left leg, hobbled up to Anna and Hvitserk. 

“We’re powerfully sorry about all this, ma’am,” the man said with sincere regret. “Of course, me and my brothers are gonna pay for the damage and fix it up real nice for you.” He looked at Hvitserk. “Much obliged, sir. You did a mighty fine thing on the street there. Might have been real bad without your help.” He tipped his hat at Hvitserk. 

“Glad I could help and that no one got seriously hurt,” he said. Anna was still holding onto Hvitserk, but seeing the bull pass by so closely again had shaken her. Though she felt no ill will toward the cattle ranchers, she could not bring any sound to her voice. She simply nodded at his offer to repay and repair the saloon. Satisfied, the man limped away to   
join his brothers. With the bull’s departure, most of the crowd outside the saloon dispersed. Elizabeth had regained her own composure and come to Anna’s side. 

“You should have seen her, Hvitserk. It was the bravest thing you ever did see!” Elizabeth’s blue eyes were bright with excitement. 

“Oh stop,” Anna said, finding her voice. She was embarrassed by the praise. She gently broke free from Hvitserk’s grasp and feebly attempted to fix her curly hair and dishevelled dress. 

Elizabeth continued, “When I think of what that thing did to the piano…” The piano. It was the first thing Anna saw when the three of them looked into the saloon door. What wasn’t scattered around the room lay in tatters on the floor, looking like nothing more than a heap of cracked lumber and twisted metal. One would never know it was once a charismatic musical instrument. 

“Of all the luck,” Elizabeth said, placing an arm on Anna’s shoulder. “She finally got it working again.” Hvitserk smiled and placed his hand on Anna’s other shoulder as she stared wordlessly into the saloon. 

“You save lives, fight off raging bulls and repair misbehaving pianos,” Hvitserk said admiringly. “Is there anything you can’t do?” She leaned against his shoulder. She was relieved and saddened and content all at the same time. It was an odd mixture for an odd day. There was a pause as they assessed the situation. The silence was broken by Hvitserk. “Can you swing a sledgehammer, too?” Hvitserk asked jokingly. Anna gave him a quizzical look. He dropped his hand from her shoulder and sauntered to his horse where he pulled a stack of posters out of his saddlebag. “I was hoping I could post these up at the saloon. We need some extra labor to meet our deadline. It’s good money for anyone who doesn’t mind dusty work.” He handed one to Anna, winked and walked away to hand posters to the men still standing nearby. Elizabeth leaned up against her friend and they looked at the poster together. 

“Dusty work,” Anna said. “And at the end of the day, that man never has a speck of dust on him. Isn’t he the foreman?” 

“Well, maybe a foreman doesn’t do much actual work.” 

“They work, and they get good and dirty,” Anna said. “And their clothes are usually threadbare. It’s like I told you, Elizabeth, Hvitserk is hiding something.” 

“So ask him about it.” 

Anna had a better idea. She creased the poster between her fingers and tucked it into the pocket of her dress. 

Smokey sat in the corner of Elizabeth’s room, head cocked to one side, trying desperately to understand what was happening. Anna straddled a chair while her best friend stood behind her. A girdle was wrapped high around Anna’s torso, flattening her breasts tight against her chest. Elizabeth held the garment’s belt in her hand and was cinching it ever-tighter, planting her foot against Anna’s back and heaving on the belt as tightly as she could. 

“Tell me again how you promise not to do anything crazy,” Elizabeth said as she squeezed Anna’s curvaceous body once more, forcing her victim to let out a yelp. 

“Elizabeth, for goodness sake, don’t you think this is all a bit more than is really necessary? I will be wearing a shirt.” 

“I don’t know what’s necessary, Anna,” Elizabeth walked in front of her friend, held her shoulders and looked her in the eye for emphasis. “I have never disguised myself as a man to join a railroad construction crew. This is your fool idea.” 

“Don’t you see, Elizabeth? It’s perfect.” Anna had explained her reasoning time and time again, but her friend still wasn’t buying it. “This way I can get to the bottom of what Hvitserk is really up to at work and I can do it without confronting him. I don’t want him to think I don’t trust him.” 

“But you don’t trust him,” Elizabeth retorted. 

“Well you and I know that, but I’m not about to let him know that,” Anna said. “Besides, I mostly trust him.” Anna rose to look in the mirror and determined that Elizabeth’s torture had amply flattened her feminine form. She pulled on some old work clothes they had borrowed from Jansen. A few nips and tucks here and there and the clothing fit reasonably well. Anna waved her arms about to check for mobility. 

“You’ll be fine, as long as you keep your clothes on,” Elizabeth said. 

“Perfect,” Anna sighed. “I get to work in the blazing sun all day with three layers of clothing, while everyone around me will be shirtless. I’m going to positively bake.” 

“Oh, you’re not going to bake,” Elizabeth assured her, snipping a lock of her friend’s black hair without warning. “It will be more of a roasting. Stewing in your own juices, so to speak.” She deposited the handful of hair on the dresser, pulled out a bandana and wrapped it snugly around Anna’s head, tucking every strand of curly, black hair beneath it. With Anna’s hair secure, Elizabeth plopped a hat on her friend’s head and eyed her handiwork. Smokey was still trying to understand the scene. The curious dog, eyes ever-widening, tentatively stepped closer to Anna and gave her a cautious sniff. “You’ll be fine─” Elizabeth said again, gathering the loose strands of black hair from the dresser. 

“I know,” Anna interrupted, “as long as I don’t take off my hat. What’s that for?” Elizabeth was mixing together a paste of various herbs and pancake makeup. 

“Now, hold still,” she instructed, as she spread a thin layer of paste over Anna’s eyebrows and in front of both ears. She took clumps of the hair and moulded it into place to create bushy black eyebrows and sideburns for Anna. “There is no way I could make you a moustache or beard that would look authentic and stay on all day,” she explained. “But this will make you look hairy enough.” 

“You can compliment me all you want,” Anna snorted. “You’re still getting up early in the morning to do all this again.” Anna stood and admired her new masculine look in the mirror. She put her hands on her hips and looked at herself every which way. She knew that the job awaiting her the next morning would be difficult. It would be physically demanding and she hoped that her determination would make up for whatever shortcomings she had in sheer brawn compared to the men. It would all be worth it in the end if she could find out what Hvitserk was hiding. Even if she only stayed a few hours, hopefully she could find out what Hvitserk actually did for Grand Humber and put to rest her lingering doubts. With a yawn and stretch – or at least as much of a stretch as she could manage in her disguise – Anna thanked Elizabeth and reached for the door. 

“Try not to undo too much tonight,” Elizabeth said with a yawn of her own. “It will mean less to do in the morning.” Anna gave herself one last glance in the mirror. The transformation truly was astonishing. Smokey scampered at Anna’s heels as she stepped into the hallway, inspiring Anna to bend and pet her confused dog. “And you, my faithful friend, will stay away from my face tonight or in the morning we’ll use your fur to make a moustache.”


	8. Chapter 8

After another restless night, Anna tended to her morning chores with vigor and, despite the lack of sleep, found herself energized by her disappointment with Hvitserk. She had vowed never to allow her heart to be taken by another man. Then with one look into those green eyes, she’d almost fallen again. From now on, she promised herself, she would devote herself to her work and to her reputation – two things she knew would not let her down. With each push of her broom against the floor or swipe of her rag against the bar, she punished herself for letting her guard down with Hvitserk. Her heart and life partner was the Wild Rose. 

It should have come as no surprise, she told herself, that Hvitserk would be so forward with her. He was a man, after all. He spent much of his time on the road. Given his charm and good looks, he probably had no problem bedding women in every town. Even when I’m angry with him, I still compliment him. Anna scolded herself again for this thought. Hvitserk’s entry into the saloon that morning was greeted coolly. Anna and Elizabeth were both cleaning, and neither bothered to acknowledge his presence. Anna was behind the bar dusting when he approached carrying his black suitcase. 

“Could we step outside and talk?” he whispered. 

“There is nothing to talk about,” Anna declined haughtily. “Unless you want breakfast, in which case Elizabeth will…” she looked at her watch with mock sadness, “Oh no…I’m afraid you’re too late for that, too.” She turned back to continue her dusting. 

“Come on, don’t be like that,” Hvitserk pleaded “I’ve been thinking about last night and I can explain…” 

“I’m not interested in your explanation,” she interrupted. “I am only interested in running my hotel and saloon. Nothing else interests me in the least.” Actually, she was interested – interested in what possible explanation he might have for his behavior. She would allow him to explain if he asked just once more. Nicely. She raised one eyebrow expectantly. 

“I can’t believe you are being so pig-headed,” he snapped. “All I want is a moment to explain what happened – the same courtesy I would extend to you if the tables were turned. Now you are acting like an overly-emotional woman.” That wasn’t nicely enough for Anna. 

“I beg your pardon?” she gasped. 

“You heard me. If you run your business the way you run your personal affairs, then it amazes me that you have a roof over your head. I’m not accustomed to dealing with women in business circles, but if they’re all like you, the business world is in deep trouble!” Anna was keeping a checklist in her head. He had insulted how she runs her personal life, how she runs her business and in the process, insulted women everywhere. This was certainly in stark contrast to last night’s dinner conversation.

“Are you about finished, Mr. Lothbrok?” she said frostily. Hvitserk took a deep breath. He immediately realized that he had gone too far. In fact, he had done what he just accused her of doing; letting his emotions dictate his words and actions. He looked at his shoes, at the bar and anywhere except at Anna’s ice cold hazel eyes. 

“I won’t be here for the next couple of days,” he finally said. “I’ll be staying at the worker’s camp until Friday. I’m leaving my things here, if that’s okay.” He chanced a glance at Anna’s face. 

“Fine,” Anna said. “Enjoy your time with the men,” she added with a touch of sarcasm. 

Grimacing at her tone, he turned and dragged himself through the door. Fifteen minutes earlier, Hvitserk had convinced himself he could smooth things over with Anna. Now, he doubted fifteen years would give him time to do so. 

Anna tried all day to distract herself with chores. She cleaned, tightened, polished and organized everything she could get her hands on – anything at all to keep her hands moving and her mind occupied. It didn’t work. She kept seeing Hvitserk’s face and hearing his words over and over again. 

Later that afternoon, while making her cleaning rounds, Elizabeth eventually made her way to Hvitserk’s room. Hobbling through the doorway, weighed down with linens and a basin filled with fresh water, she spied Smokey perched atop Hvitserk’s pillow, gnawing on the discarded soup bone from the previous night’s stew. Smokey, never known for etiquette, was surrounded by hair and bits of meat and gristle. Elizabeth promptly shooed the dog away, revealing an unappealing smear that had obviously been there for more than a day. After changing the sheets, Elizabeth tracked down Anna to report her findings. Aghast, Anna recalled every word Hvitserk had used during their argument. Now the words meant something entirely different. Something over here on the bed… these sheets seem to have been used… soiled. As swiftly as contempt for Hvitserk had overwhelmed her last night, she as quickly felt the fool. 

Hvitserk spent the day in a foul mood. He was short and abrupt with the stable hands at Thurmont’s Livery when he asked for a horse and was inexplicably upset when one was available. He grumbled at the horse all the way to the work-site, lamenting the bumpy ride she was offering. Upon his arrival, he complained about the quality of the breakfast, the number of flies in the air and the intensity of the midmorning sun. His first meeting of the day was with the real construction foreman. 

“It looks like we could have rain in the next day or two,” Hvitserk grumbled. “I don’t want your men using the weather as an excuse to put us behind schedule.” The foreman, taken aback by Hvitserk’s disposition, informed him that in less than a week, railroad construction was already two days ahead of schedule. This seemed to irritate Hvitserk even more, much to the bewilderment of all, including himself. Finally, he retreated to a table in the mess tent with a stack of papers and a mug of the worst coffee he had ever tasted.   
His leather case was, as always, at his feet like a beloved pet. Left alone with his thoughts as he reviewed surveyor maps, Hvitserk admitted to himself that his most recent encounter with Anna had soured his mood. What he had difficulty understanding was why a simple argument, with a woman he hardly knew, would make him so out of sorts. Perhaps he was simply disappointed that what appeared to be a blossoming relationship had dissolved so quickly. Was he offended by what Anna implied regarding his intentions? Or did he simply regret how he reacted - criticizing her as a businesswoman. The truth behind his surly mood, he suspected, was likely a combination of all those factors. 

From where he sat in the mess tent, he could see Sunrise Hill. He had found himself looking up at it frequently and painfully remembering the morning he had met Anna returning from the clearing. The future had looked better then, but if he needed a further excuse to call it a bad day, he was holding it. Hvitserk shook his head in an effort to clear his muddled thoughts and closed his eyes tightly. Opening them quickly, he was dismayed to find the information in his hand had not changed. The day he had discovered Anna on the path to Sunrise Hill, and had enjoyed such a lovely supper with her, he had acquired a copy of a deed that stated Harvey Douglas owned the land beside the hotel and saloon.   
The document now before him – a document dated five years after the one in his room – listed Anna White as the owner! Hvitserk shuddered at the prospect of now having to return to the Wild Rose to negotiate the purchase of Anna’s land.


	9. Chapter 9

Anna’s heart pounded with nervous excitement as she and Jansen climbed down from the wagon at the edge of the construction site. She was certain that she would blend into the crowd of workers as long as she kept a low profile, but she was glad to have Jansen with her all the same. When told of Anna’s plan to disguise herself as a man and work at the railroad construction site, Jansen had reluctantly agreed to take part in the ruse. Now as he tied up the horse, Anna scanned the worksite. A heavyset man sat behind a table with a ledger open in front of him. Behind the table was a group of tents that acted as the mess hall, sleeping quarters and meeting areas for the railroad crew. There was no sign of Hvitserk. 

“You’re late,” grumbled the man behind the table. So much for keeping a low profile, Anna thought. “You’ll be docked an hour for that.” The man went on to explain that payday was Friday at sundown, “And not a moment earlier.” He asked their names. Anna very nearly said her proper name, but recovered in time to deliver her alias: Matty Duff. 

“Duff, grab yourself a hammer and step in line,” he said nodding towards the long line of workers already driving spikes. He looked at Jansen. “You, carry on over that bluff there and join the clearing crew. Be quick about it too or I’ll dock you another hour.” Unsuccessfully, Anna tried to hide her nervousness at being separated from Jansen. She hadn’t considered that possibility. 

“It’s not too late for you to turn around and go back,” Jansen mumbled as they walked toward their respective posts. “I can find my way back into town later.” She declined Jansen’s offer, deciding that she had come this far, she might as well go all the way! Besides, she told herself I need to find out more about Hvitserk – I’ll be fine on my own. No sooner had she declined Jansen’s offer than she caught sight of Hvitserk stepping out from behind a tent with three other men. They were all dressed in business attire – certainly not construction clothes. Hvitserk carried a rolled up surveyor’s map and, of course, that black suitcase. Hvitserk recognized Jansen and, leaving his colleagues, started walking toward them. Anna’s breath caught in her throat and her heart beat so hard she was certain Hvitserk would hear it. 

“You’re one of Anna’s friends. Jansen, right?” Hvitserk said to Jansen with a smile and outstretched hand. Jansen accepted Hvitserk’s hand while Anna pretended not to notice and kept walking. “Who’s your friend?” Hvitserk asked, cocking his head in Anna’s direction. 

“That’s an old buddy of mine, Matty Duff,” Jansen replied. He seems a little nervous, but Jansen always seems a little nervous, Hvitserk thought. Anna felt herself getting warm. Very warm. “He’s not much for talkin’,” Jansen replied, “but he’s a hard worker.” Hvitserk nodded his head Anna’s way. She nodded back . The deception was working. 

“All right then, carry on Jansen,” Hvitserk said as he nodded once more and joined his colleagues who had walked off in the opposite direction. As Jansen rejoined Anna, she wondered how she would be able to spy on Hvitserk when he was working clear over on the other side of camp. Jansen and Anna parted company behind a row of workers. As her friend hurried up the nearby slope, Anna stopped to survey the situation. A short, frightening looking man barked in her direction before she could take in much detail. 

“You there,” he snarled. “Ya gonna stand there all day or ya gonna grab a hammer and get to work?” He poked his tongue through the gaps in his teeth when he spoke. Something about the ugly little man struck Anna as familiar, but she couldn’t figure out what it was and she didn’t have time to think about it now. He was the scariest looking character Anna had ever seen. She heard someone call him Pirate and the name suited him well. He wore a patch over his right eye and his left leg was replaced with a wooden stump. His hair was long, and he wore a bandana. One of the shortest men on the site, what he lacked in height he made up for with an intimidating appearance. Anna hurried over to a scattering of stray sledgehammers and wrapped her gloved hand around the shaft of one. She knew it would be heavy so she tensed every muscle in her arm to make lifting it seem effortless. She knew she had the technique down to swing a hammer or a pick – she had done plenty of repairs around the saloon over the years – but the sheer size of the tools and the job at hand intimidated her. 

“Take a spot on the line,” Pirate growled, seemingly annoyed at the prospect of breaking in a new man. Anna carried her hammer to a gap in the line of workers. Iron spikes were scattered across the site for easy, if sloppy, access. The men ranged in size, but all were larger than her. They also shared one other thing in common: they were filthy. Anna, though wrinkled and drab, shone like a new penny amid this sweaty, greasy and grubby group. A tall, slim man to her immediate left spoke first. 

“What’s your name?” Okay, Anna thought. It’s show-time. After a casual pause, she cleared her throat and muttered her alias for the second time today.   
“Duff. Matty Duff.” 

“What’s your story, Duff?” This time the voice came from the shorter, barrel-chested man on her right. Anna had not mapped out an actual story for herself. She couldn’t think of what she wanted to do less: work or talk. An enormous hulk of a man – easily the tallest of the bunch – let Anna off the hook with a voice as thunderous and impressive as his appearance. 

“Leave the new guy alone,” he growled. “Every man here has a story. It’s no one’s business but his own.” With that, the men returned to their work. Anna peeked out of the corner of her eye and saw Pirate walking her way. The moment of truth had arrived for Anna. Copying the actions of the thin man to her left, she casually picked up a spike and laid it in place. She placed the hammer’s head on the spike, then with a deep breath, raised and swung the sledge over her head. It was at that very instant that Anna recalled when and where she had met Pirate before. It was years ago, right after she took over the Wild Rose. He was the one human being she had ever threatened with a gun, albeit a bulletless one. Pirate was the man who had threatened to shoot everyone in her bar but instead had shot a hole in his foot. Now he was Anna’s boss. So distracted was she, that Anna brought the hammer down squarely on the spike’s head with little, if any, force. She felt awkward and wondered if anyone else noticed. Every man on the line froze in their places and stared at the new guy. Oh no, Anna thought.

“Duff!” Pirate was watching. “Put some muscle into it or you’ll be on that spike all day.” She chose not to look around at him. Instead, she gripped the hammer tighter, lifted it once more and came down on the spike as hard as she could. If she didn’t have another ounce of energy to spare the rest of the day, it didn’t matter as long as that spike went in. The swing did the job – everyone’s eyes returned to their own spikes and away from her. Pirate grunted his satisfaction and hobbled along the line. No one else seemed to care how fast she worked. In fact, she soon realized that several of the men were more interested in talking than working. This gathering of brawn and might was becoming as sociable as a quilting bee, allowing Anna several rest breaks as she listened in on the conversations. 

“My lady is the sweetest thing this side of the Rockies,” boasted one voice. “Seeing her again is the only thing that gets me through these hard, hot days.” 

“This work isn’t hard at all,” bragged another. “The South Meadowland Railroad. Now that was hard work. Dangerous too.” 

“I worked the Meadowland, and I don’t remember you,” accused a third voice. 

“Well.” Pirate’s sandpapery voice came from out of nowhere, “it looks like the Grand Humber has begun hiring women to build their railroads…” Anna froze and felt the heat rush to her cheeks. How could she have been found out? She looked around for Jansen or Hvitserk but neither was in sight. “…that’s what you sound like, a bunch of dames, standing around yakking,” he snarled. “I want less yapping and more pounding. Get to work – the lot of ya.” Anna heaved a sigh of relief.

Anna soon learned she could make up for her lack of brute strength by working more quickly. If she hit her spikes twice as often and in half the time, she was able to keep pace with her coworkers. But problems began to develop ─ she could already feel blisters forming on her palms, and the swinging motion made the girdle she wore cut into her skin. The worst though was the heat. As noon approached, the sun rose higher and hotter in the cloudless sky. One by one, her co-workers shed their shirts to give their bronzed, sun-soaked muscles relief from the heat. This was not an option for Anna, as she struggled under the confines of her disguise. Finally came a detail that somehow she and Elizabeth had completely failed to consider. Fortunately, there was an outhouse between the mess hall and the sleeping tents. As casually as she could, Anna dropped her hammer and quietly backed off from the rail, hoping no one would notice. 

“Duff! Where do ya think you’re goin’?” It was Pirate, of course, who seemed to miss nothing with his one good eye. Anna stopped in her tracks and with her back to him, mumbled. “I have to use the privy,” she said. 

“Just go over on the hill,” he said, pointing to a grassy knoll just a few dozen feet away. “Don’t waste my time walking back to main the camp.” Anna looked over at the hill in question and gulped. She would be in full view of everyone. 

“Unless you gotta crap,” a voice broke in. “I don’t want to smell your filth all afternoon.” Relieved to have been provided an excuse to use the outhouse, Anna shrugged at Pirate as if to say, What can I do. She turned and shuffled her way across the compound, to the privacy of the outhouse. At an open tent, not far from the outhouse, Hvitserk was wrapping up his meeting with other railroad officials. One man was an accountant, another was a lawyer and the third was the company president’s nephew who would, it was widely expected, one day run the company. The purpose of the meeting was to ensure that the construction project was on schedule and also to ensure that Hvitserk had all the funds to complete the purchase of the land in Prairie Gulch. As he was shaking hands with the accountant, Hvitserk saw Jansen’s friend heading toward the outhouse. He smiled and nodded a greeting in his new worker’s direction. Anna momentarily forgot who she was – or at least who she was pretending to be – and stared at Hvitserk’s face. Hvitserk thought Duff stood and stared a little longer than usual when greeting another man, but it occurred to him that he could ask Duff about Sunrise Hill. He reasoned that since Duff was obviously not one of The Boys, perhaps he might be more willing to tell what he knew about Anna and the Hill. When Anna emerged from the outhouse Hvitserk called out. 

“Hey Duff. Come here a minute.”

Anna froze in her tracks. It was going to be difficult to keep her true identity hidden from the one man in camp who had ever looked into her eyes. With her heart in her throat, Anna ambled toward Hvitserk, trying to keep her head down while appearing indifferent. “You from Prairie Gulch?” Hvitserk asked. She nodded. “You know Anna White over at the Wild Rose?” Anna grunted a reply and waved her hand as if to say she didn’t know either very well. Hvitserk became doubtful that Duff would be much help but he asked one more question. “How about Sunrise Hill?” he asked. “What do you know about it – ever been there?” 

Anna’s eyes narrowed. She immediately knew what Hvitserk was getting at. How dare he! Asking strangers if they had ever been to Sunrise Hill. What type of woman did he think she was? For Hvitserk to assume that every man in town had been to Sunrise Hill on her arm was unbelievable! Not only that, but he wasn’t even being the slightest bit discreet. At this rate, the entire town would figure out what the two of them had done on Sunrise Hill! Fuming at his audacity, she mumbled, “I hear it’s real nice but I ain’t never been there.” She shuffled awkwardly. Hvitserk found it odd that a local man would know so little about such a unique woman and picturesque spot. Maybe, like Jansen said, Duff just wasn’t one for talking. Hvitserk thanked Matty Duff and sent him on his way. 

Especially after her conversation with Hvitserk, lunch break couldn’t come fast enough for Anna. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been so exhausted or so hungry. All the workers gathered in the mess tent. Although the air in the tent felt cooler, it was thick with the smell of body odor from dozens of sweaty workers. Through the stench, Anna caught a whiff of lunch. The cook, who could have passed as Pirate’s twin, save for his lack of eye patch and peg leg, scooped a bean mixture from a large iron pot. There was no formal line so Anna simply gravitated toward the pot where she was handed a bowl and a small brick of corn bread. She sat on her own against the edge of the tent. Anna wanted to cry out in relief when she felt her backside touch the ground. After savouring the feeling for a few moments, she turned to her lunch. Though the corn bread was dry and crumbly, the stew was surprisingly tasty. Someone sat next to her, but Anna, still trying to blend in, pretended not to notice. Then she heard a familiar voice. 

“How’d it go?” Jansen asked. She looked at him. He was dirty and sweaty and seemed as relieved as she that it was lunchtime. 

“So far, so good,” she muttered through a mouthful of mashed kidney beans. Ever since her conversation with Hvitserk, she couldn’t help but imagine him grilling every man in town with the same jealous inquisition. “Tell me something ─ has Hvitserk asked you anything about me and Sunrise Hill?” Jansen thought a moment as he swallowed a mouthful of corn bread. 

“The other morning before you two rode into town. He did ask about the Wild Rose and how you became owner.” Anna was puzzled. Perhaps she was jumping to another false conclusion about Hvitserk. But why wouldn’t he just ask her how she became the owner of the Wild Rose? While pondering this, she noticed Pirate picking his way through the maze of tables, heading straight toward her and Jansen. 

“We need to start digging a new crapper,” he grumbled, standing in front of them. “Duff, let’s see if you can swing a shovel any better than you swing a hammer. I’ll get Ruddles to join you.” He looked at Jansen. “You can take Duff’s place on the line.” Anna was a little disappointed to hear Pirate’s review of her hammering abilities. She thought she had been doing just fine. Jansen took a long hard look at Pirate then leaned into Anna. 

“Isn’t that the guy who…” Anna stopped him with a vigorous nod of her head. 

Ruddles was less than impressed to be pulled off the line to dig a new privy, particularly to work with the new guy. He wordlessly began digging a trench where Pirate had instructed them, channelling his frustration into his work. Anna didn’t mind the lack of conversation. She was more comfortable with a shovel than a sledge and she was glad to be far away from Pirate for the rest of the day. After hardly exchanging a word for an hour, they paused for a water break. “So, you’re from Prairie Gulch,” Ruddles spoke. “What do you know about the Harvest Ball?” 

Anna knew quite a bit. She had always looked forward to attending when she was a little girl, though she didn’t do much more than watch grown ups dance, drink and eat. In her teens she had helped set up and clean tables. And since taking over the saloon she had donated spare barrels of ale. The Harvest Ball was about the entire town coming together to celebrate after a long summer of hard work. This year’s Ball promised to be a special event because actual entertainers were going to be in town for it. The Rascal Riders was a group of actors, singers and dancers who performed at balls and fairs all across the territory. Some of the Rascal Riders had been born and raised in Prairie Gulch and the rest of the troupe stayed at the Wild Rose when in town. Anna considered them all old friends and she explained as much of this as she could to Ruddles without blowing her cover. 

“How did you hear about the Ball?” she asked. 

“On a poster in town,” he replied. “I saw it on my last day off when I went to the Wild Rose for a drink. There’s a cute filly there who works behind the bar. You know her?” For the first time that day, Anna felt attractive and feminine. It didn’t occur to her that Ruddles might well be talking about Elizabeth. 

“I’m not very good with the ladies,” Anna said, “or with my liquor.” Ruddles seemed to accept this and they returned to work. The opportunity Anna had hoped for to go off on her own to find out about Hvitserk never presented itself. Instead, she gently probed her privy-digging partner for information. 

“The big mucky-mucks don’t rub shoulders with us grunts all that much,” he replied when she asked if he knew Hvitserk Lothbrok. “All I know is, that Hvitserk guy’s the one in charge of all this. There ain’t a spike that enters the ground unless he approves it.” Anna raised an eyebrow. The plot was thickening. I knew he wasn’t just the foreman around here. But why, she wondered, would he say he was a foreman if he was actually running the entire construction project? What was he hiding? She tried unsuccessfully to pry more information from Ruddles, but if he knew anything else, he wasn’t talking. 

Hours later, the gong of the grandfather clock awakened Anna from a deep sleep. She sat up in bed and looked around her. Darkness spilled in from the window and filled the room. The single chime of the clock downstairs told her the time was one o’clock. She ran her rough, blistered hands through her curly hair. The hat and scarf were gone, leaving only her matted, dirty, black hair beneath her fingers. Searching the darkness, she saw the remnants of her disguise piled in the corner on the floor. Patting her own curvaceous body she found that she was wearing her night clothes. She appreciated being back in her own clothes instead of the confines of the costume, but she couldn’t remember arriving home, let alone changing for bed. Groggy, but becoming more awake by the second, she realized she didn’t remember anything after climbing onto the wagon with Jansen at the end of the day. Swinging her feet onto the floor and padding into the hallway, she did remember that she had learned next to nothing about Hvitserk – save enough to confirm that he was more than just a construction foreman. 

On feet blistered from the heavy work boots she’d worn all day, Anna crept down the hall toward the pale light in the saloon. Certain that the faint rustle of movement she heard was Elizabeth wiping down the bar, she was shocked at what she saw when she entered the saloon. By the door, standing in the dull glow of a single lantern, Elizabeth and Jansen were locked in a passionate, searching embrace. They kissed each other tenderly and repeatedly. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his fingers raked through her straight brown hair. It was a surprise for Anna to see the shy, unassuming Jansen strike such a forward pose. Though the voyeur in her was tempted to remain, she backed out of the saloon doorway and tiptoed back to her room. By the time she returned to her bed, she heard the bells of the saloon door jingle open and shut. Moments later, she heard Elizabeth scamper down the hall. 

“Hello,” Anna spoke out through the darkness. Elizabeth tiptoed into the room, carrying a lantern that cast long orange shadows on the walls. 

“Good evening,” Elizabeth said cheerily. “I hope I didn’t wake you.” If it weren’t for the light of the lantern in her hand, Elizabeth’s own face might well have lit the room. Just by looking at her friend’s big blue eyes, Anna could tell that Elizabeth was smitten.  
“I was just…” Elizabeth paused, running her fingers thoughtfully through her long, brown hair, “…saying goodnight to Jansen.”   
Anna smiled conspiratorially and decided to let the matter pass. The question of the day for Anna was how she had ended up in her bed, wearing her nightclothes. Elizabeth laughed. “Oh, your imagination must be running mad,” Elizabeth chirped. She explained that by the time Anna and Jansen had arrived at the Wild Rose, Anna was so deeply asleep that Jansen had been forced to carry her into the hotel and then into her room. Smiling, Elizabeth assured her that Jansen had been well out of the room before she changed Anna’s clothes.   
“I had assumed as much, but it’s good to be sure.” Although the events were hazy, Anna began to vaguely remember her transformation back into a woman. 

“How was your day?” Elizabeth asked. “Jansen didn’t have much to say and I’m dying to know.” Anna promised to tell her everything the following morning. 

“Then you have to tell me about your evening with Jansen.” The ladies smiled at each other knowing secrets might be revealed. “And before I forget, Elizabeth, I insist you take the next couple of evenings off ─ I really couldn’t have pulled this off today without you.” Elizabeth accepted Anna’s kind offer and looked forward to spending her time off with Jansen. As she was leaving the room she remembered something. 

“Oh, by the way, Hvitserk returned this evening while I was tucking you into bed,” Elizabeth said. “I don’t think he suspected anything. I told him you were feeling a little under the weather and had gone to bed early.” Elizabeth pulled the door shut behind her. As she returned her head to the pillow, Anna stared up at the ceiling. Hvitserk was asleep in the room just above her. She smiled, not sure what she had accomplished for all her hard work. As her thoughts faded, she fell back into a deep sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Well before sunrise, Anna awoke feeling as though someone had pinned her to the bed. Every muscle in her body pulsated with pain. Unable to gather the strength to sit up, Anna rolled to her side and mustered enough arm leverage to push herself up sideways. Her muscles screamed, as she slowly eased her feet over the side of the bed and onto the floor. She couldn’t tell if the quiet creaking noise came from her bed or her joints. 

Anxious to bathe and feel normal again, she shuffled down the hall to the kitchen and set a large pot of water on the stove. A wooden bathing tub was nestled in the corner and Anna began preparing it. When the water had heated, she filled the tub and settled in for a thorough soaking with the hottest water she could bear. As she leaned back, her hair dripped water softly over the edge of the tub and she revelled in the warmth. Her aching muscles and joints relaxed as the hot water worked its magic. She would have liked nothing more than to sit and soak until noon, but didn’t relish the idea of being on display when the rest of the hotel woke up. Reluctantly, after half an hour, she pulled herself out of the now tepid water, reached for a nearby towel and began to pat herself dry. Absently, she began to think of Hvitserk. 

Hvitserk awoke with a start, unsure of his surroundings. Quickly, his senses returned and he realized it was before sunrise and he was back at the Wild Rose. His stomach growled loudly and he was overcome with a craving for Elizabeth’s famous blueberry biscuits and eggs – but breakfast wasn’t until seven. Hvitserk had been warned by Elizabeth of the strictly enforced kitchen off limits rule for guests, but his stomach issued another loud ultimatum. Hvitserk decided that a quick plundering of the kitchen was in order and what Elizabeth didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. 

Hvitserk pulled on his jeans, but foregoing a shirt, he snuck out his bedroom doorway quietly padding along the hallway. Another deception he thought wryly to himself. He clutched the banister tightly when one lonesome creak on the stairs echoed above the ticking of the grandfather clock and he held his breath until he was certain he hadn’t awakened anyone. As he drew closer to the kitchen, an ever-so faint flicker of candlelight could be seen from within. Curious and driven by hunger, Hvitserk proceeded. What he saw when he quietly slid the kitchen door open a crack created a hunger of a much deeper nature. He stopped in his tracks and held his breath. 

Anna was standing with her back to him, naked in a bathing tub. Hvitserk’s eyes were drawn to her shapely bottom as she swayed against the towel drying her shoulders. When they’d had their romantic rendezvous on Sunrise Hill he had explored Anna’s body and had dared to caress her backside. He was thrilled now to have a visual to go along with the memory captured by his roving hands. Sobering suddenly, he crept backwards praying Anna would not catch him spying. He had taken two steps into the dark hallway when his heel knocked a table against the wall. Anna, hearing the noise, quickly wrapped the towel around herself and turned to face the door. Hvitserk casually stepped into the doorway, looking suitably shocked to see Anna. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Hvitserk said, “I had no idea anyone was here.” his eyes followed a droplet of water from her hair, down her cheek, along her neck and then slowly between her breasts. 

“It seems every time we meet we’re wearing a little less clothing,” she said, raising a flirtatious eyebrow and noting his bare chest. The sight of his naked, athletic torso gave her body an ache of an entirely different nature than the ache with which she had awakened. Her skin tingled with goose bumps and even her weariest muscles wondered what would happen if she were to drop the towel. While she was becoming more daring, she wasn’t quite ready to go that far yet! 

“Elizabeth told me you weren’t feeling well,” Hvitserk said. “Did the bath help?” he continued, with a forced casualness, while trying to quell the beating of his heart. 

“Not really,” Anna replied. Now that she was out of the warm water, she could feel that she had a lot of recovering to do. “I ache from head to toe. I really don’t know how I’m going to get things done today. What’s worse, I gave Elizabeth the night off, so I can’t even depend on her help.” 

“I would be more than happy to help out,” Hvitserk offered enthusiastically. Perhaps with a few hours of snooping I might finally determine who owns the land next to the Wild Rose, he thought to himself. “I can tend bar for you tonight.” Anna was amused at the offer. 

“I don’t think so,” she chuckled. Hvitserk cut her off before she could speak again. 

“Why not? I can handle slinging drinks to a few of Prairie Gulch’s finest for one night. If you’re not feeling well you should rest. It’s the least I can do for a sick friend.” Anna considered the offer. It would be an ironic twist to have him run her saloon the day after she had disguised herself as a worker on his railroad. Perhaps too, she thought, it will distract him so that I can sneak into his room and finally find out who Hvitserk Lothbrok really is. 

“Okay,” she agreed. “Why not? I’ll just be in my room anyway, in case something goes wrong.” 

“What could possibly go wrong?” he asked. Both seemed to have forgotten the circumstances of their conversation. Anna was still naked beneath a small damp towel, and Hvitserk was bare from the waist up. “Well, I should, um…” Hvitserk didn’t know how to finish the sentence. 

“Go back to your room before Elizabeth catches you in her kitchen,” she finished for him. With a shy smile, Hvitserk turned and disappeared into the dark hall. He passed a groggy Elizabeth heading into the kitchen to begin her day. As they walked past each other, he nonchalantly bid her a good morning. If she was puzzled by Hvitserk’s half naked appearance in the hall, she was downright shocked to see Anna. 

“What is going on around here?” Elizabeth shot Anna a bewildered look, then returned her gaze back in the direction where Hvitserk had vanished.   
“We need to have a nice long chat, right now,” Anna said, finally stepping out of the tub. 

An hour later, Hvitserk, now fully clothed, entered the saloon. The Wild Rose was bustling with activity. The unfortunate ranchers whose bull had run rough-shod over the saloon earlier in the week were hard at work repairing the damage. The debris from the piano and the damaged tables and chairs had been cleared away days before, but the doorframe and floorboards still required attention. Elizabeth sat alone at a table sipping a mug of tea and watching the men work. Hvitserk pulled out a chair at her table and sat down.   
“I’m glad we’re alone,” Hvitserk began, glancing at the three men hammering away at the floorboards. “Can I ask you something?” 

“Maybe,” Elizabeth answered coyly. Hvitserk took a deep breath. This would be the closest he had come to revealing his true business interests. 

“What do you know about Sunrise Hill?” Elizabeth laughed heartily. 

“You must have been talking to Anna.” Hvitserk looked at Elizabeth blankly. Elizabeth continued, “No one else calls it Sunrise Hill. Everyone else in Prairie Gulch calls it Harvey’s Haven. That’s the guy who used to own it. Besides, if you ask me, I think the sunsets look better from that hill than the sunrises.” Hvitserk hadn’t seen the sunrise yet from the hill, but he had to agree with Elizabeth – the view of the sunset was spectacular. 

“Who do you talk to about a name change?” he asked humorously. 

“I guess that would be me,” Elizabeth sipped her tea to prolong her answer. “I own it.” Her response hit Hvitserk like a runaway steam engine. He couldn’t believe his luck. 

“You own Sunrise Hill? Or, whatever you call it?” 

“Yes,” she replied with a quizzical look on her face. “Why?” 

“Don’t move,” he said, rising from his chair. “I have to get something from my room, then you and I need to have a nice long chat, right now.” 

“I’ve been hearing that a lot today,” Elizabeth mused. As Hvitserk hustled into the hallway, he saw Anna step through her bedroom doorway. Her curly hair was tucked neatly beneath a bonnet and her body was dressed for a day around town. 

“Hey,” he said, stopping in his tracks. “Where are you going? I thought you were resting.” Anna adjusted the buttons of her jacket. She winced slightly from the dart of pain this simple movement caused. 

“I have some things to take care of,” she said. “But, believe me, as soon as I am done, I am crawling right back into bed.” 

“I hope so,” Hvitserk replied with a wink. “I’ll hold you to it.”

Hvitserk felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Knowing at last that the property he coveted did not belong to Anna meant that he could pursue her without her thinking that he had ulterior motives. No more worrying about mixing business with pleasure. From now on, he could mix only pleasure with more pleasure as far as Anna was concerned. As he bounded up the stairs to his room, it occurred to him that he no longer needed a cover for research tonight. He began to look forward to a quiet and relaxing evening tending the bar in the saloon. 

The ranchers had worked double-time to get the rest of the repairs done and one of Anna’s errands in town had been to ensure the new tables and chairs were ready and delivered in time for Hvitserk’s debut behind the bar. By six o’clock, the stage had been set for Hvitserk’s evening in charge and Anna’s evening of rest. Anna planned on less resting and more snooping, but no one else needed to know that. She didn’t know exactly what she was looking for, but her feelings for him – and suspicions of him – were driving her to extraordinary lengths. As for Hvitserk, he had made little headway with Elizabeth that morning. He had returned to her table with a list of property values from across the territory and made her what he thought was a generous offer for Sunrise Hill. 

“Harvey’s Haven,” she kept correcting him. Elizabeth mostly sat and listened to Hvitserk’s proposals without a word. At best, she was noncommittal about selling the property. Hvitserk wasn’t concerned – at least negotiations were underway. He could see the light at the end of the tunnel, and was certain that Elizabeth’s sentimental attachment to the property would eventually be overcome with the ultimate negotiating tool – cold, hard cash. When the grandfather clock struck seven, Hvitserk took his place behind the bar and scanned the room. Tonight was going to be fun. A little light-weight labour, some banter with the patrons and maybe even the odd drink for myself, he thought eagerly. As usual, The Boys came in first. Elmer, Festus and Shamus each gave Hvitserk a double-take, then looked at each other and laughed their way to the back corner of the saloon. Jansen was conspicuous by his absence. Perhaps with Elizabeth paying a visit to Harvey’s Haven, Hvitserk reflected. 

Hvitserk served The Boys their drinks and returning to the bar, poured an extra for himself. As he sipped a tumbler of White Mix, something caught his eye beneath the bar. Upon closer inspection there was a box of dusty old clothes that looked conspicuously out of place next to the crates and bottles. He had barely peeked into it when he heard the saloon door swing open. The man that entered the room was a broad-shouldered, heavyset man with a bushy mop of black curls on his head and chin. He looked like a prospector, bedecked in worn leather and dusty boots. Hvitserk didn’t think he’d seen him around town before. The man took two steps into the room, surveyed the saloon, and took a table to himself near the door. When his eyes fell upon Hvitserk, his mouth widened to a toothy grin. “Barkeep, give me a pint of your finest ale,” he said demanded jovially. 

“Right away,” came Hvitserk’s reply. He filled a mug and carried it over to the man and then put together a tray of refills for the Boys. He was starting to find his rhythm when the front door whooshed open and closed again, the chilled night air rushing in with the patron. The new stranger was a stark contrast to the first. He was very short and as thin as a rail. His light brown hair was cut short and his face was free of stubble but damp with sweat. As he approached the bar, he pulled a handkerchief out of his inside coat pocket and wiped his brow. 

“I’d like a bottle of whiskey and two glasses,” he said with a meek voice. Hvitserk was happy to oblige. As the little man carried his bottle and glasses to a table, Hvitserk noticed the handle of a revolver poking out of the man’s inside coat pocket. Hvitserk remembered the sign next to the door, and Anna’s words earlier that afternoon. “Everyone checks their weapons at the bar or they don’t get service,” she had told him. Hvitserk swallowed hard and nervously ran his fingers through his blonde hair. He steeled his resolve and convinced himself it was a simple problem to remedy. He strode up to the stranger and asked for the weapon. The meek little man was not eager to comply with the house rule. 

“What about that guy?” the little man said loudly with a nod to the big stranger. “He has a gun.” The Boys looked up from their card game to see what the loud words were about. The big man sneered at the little man. 

“How do you know I got a gun?” he said coolly. Quick as a wink, the little man reached inside his pocket, pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the big stranger. Right on cue, the large man pulled out his own considerably larger revolver and pointed it straight back at his counterpart. The Boys froze in their seats at the sight of the standoff. The blood started rushing in Hvitserk’s ears. His head spun as he tried to conceive a solution. 

“Okay, hold it! Hold it, you two,” he shouted. “I need both of you to hand in your pieces. You will get them back when you leave.” He held his hands out to both.   
“I am not giving you my gun.” It was the big man who spoke first.   
“Neither am I.”   
“Fine,” Hvitserk said quickly, trying his best to pacify the situation. “You can keep them, just put them away and don’t let me see them again or I’m getting the sheriff. You got it?” Slowly, both men tucked their weapons away, each keeping a wary eye on the other, and returned to their drinks. The Boys looked at Hvitserk, shaking their heads in disapproval.   
“It’ll be fine”, Hvitserk muttered, adding emphatically to The Boys, “Don’t worry about it.” 

When she felt Hvitserk would be deeply embroiled in the task of serving customers, Anna tiptoed out of her room and up the stairs to Hvitserk’s room. Years of living at the Wild Rose had taught her where to step to avoid the creakiest of floorboards. She knew she had precious little time as she slipped into Hvitserk’s room, and began scanning the shadows. Anna wondered how far she could get without lighting a lamp. It would help if I knew what I was looking for. There were drawings and maps scattered everywhere. She was ready to light a lamp when she noticed that Hvitserk’s black leather case was sticking out from under the desk. In a heartbeat she reached for it, anxious to learn of its contents. Nervously, she unfastened the snap and opened the lid. 

“There must be thousands of dollars in here,” she whispered, running her fingers over dozens of tightly packed bundles of money. There were stacks of fifties, twenties and hundreds. She picked up one of the bundles and fanned through the contents. She started to count the bundles but heard a loud noise coming from the saloon. Quickly, she packed the money back inside and tucked the suitcase back beneath the desk where she’d found it. As quietly as she had crept into the room, she made her way back through the door, down the stairs and back to her room. 

There had been a tense quiet in the saloon for several minutes until a third stranger walked in. He was casually dressed and appeared to be a farmer out for a night of fun. He had red hair and a thick moustache in need of a trim. Hvitserk gave him the once over and saw no evidence of a weapon. 

“Gimme a whiskey,” he told Hvitserk as he straddled a stool at the bar. Hvitserk was afraid this would happen. 

“I’m sorry, sir,” Hvitserk said. “We’re out of whiskey.” The man turned and looked over his shoulder at the small man seated at the table behind him.   
“No yer not,” the man said. “That feller has a whole bottle.” 

“Actually it’s a half bottle,” Hvitserk countered. “And it was our last one. I’m sorry. How about the house specialty, White Mix?” He offered, reaching for a mug. 

“A feller shouldn’t have ta beg fer a drink o’ hooch,” the man growled emphatically. He said it to the small stranger and not to the barkeep. The Boys once again stopped their card game to witness the drama. Before anyone could blink an eye, the red haired man strode confidently to the little man’s table and grabbed the whiskey bottle. With the bottle secure in one hand, he pressed his other against the forehead of the little man keeping him at the end of his outstretched arm and well away from the stolen bottle. He laughed uproariously at the little man’s attempts to reach for the bottle and took a long swig from it, mocking his foe. 

“Give me that bottle,” the little man said furiously. 

“Take it easy,” said the bully. “Or yer fixin’ to git yerself hurt.” Hvitserk’s greatest fear was that the little man would reach for his gun. This evening was not going at all how he had planned. 

“Hang on, fellas,” Hvitserk barked out, trying to hide the nervousness he felt. He stood his athletic body tall. He couldn’t think of what to say, so he said everything. “He did have it first. But there should be enough for you to share. Maybe you should take this outside.” The Boys looked at Hvitserk the way disappointed parents might regard a child who had turned wild. They huddled together, as if to plan what to do with their disappointing offspring.

“Wanna have some whiskey?” asked the bully with the bottle. “Lemme give ya some!” With those boding words, he raised the bottle in the air and brought it crashing down on the little man’s head. The victim fell like a sack of rocks onto the table, causing the legs to buckle and collapse from the force of his limp body. The Boys stared in amazement. Pieces of table and bottle scattered across the floor. The room fell silent save for the red-haired man who laughed louder and louder with each tick of the grandfather clock.   
“Okay, you, get out of here,” Hvitserk said forcefully. 

“My pleasure,” the man said, turning for the door. He hadn’t taken two steps when the large stranger, until now a spectator, jumped into the action by grabbing a chair and smashing it across the back of the retreating man. Anna’s new furniture was having a poor debut as pieces of wood rained down at both strangers’ feet. The blow did not fell the red haired man, only angered him. He grabbed his attacker’s arms and they wrestled across the room. Looking like a pair of clumsy dancers, they tripped over the unconscious little man and fell into the big man’s table snapping it in two and sending his unfinished drink tumbling. The men wrestled each other on the floor, rolling around, alternating the upper hand. Two of The Boys backed their chairs against the wall, trying to get as far away from the ruckus as they could. It was the eldest of the three, Festus, who shimmied along the wall and made his way to Hvitserk’s side. Hvitserk looked at Festus, somewhat startled to see him. 

“I need my gun, Festus,” Hvitserk said with dismay. He’d left his side arm in his room when he’d heard of the no gun policy. “I guess I’ll have to break this up the old-fashioned way…” he sighed, as he loosened his collar and began rolling up his sleeves. He was about to step between the two combatants when one of the men landed a punishing blow to the other’s head. Hvitserk stepped forward to enter the brawl but Festus grabbed his arm, pulling him back. 

“I hate to be stealin’ yer thunder, son,” Festus said. “But I think you should git Anna.” It was the last thing Hvitserk wanted to do, but it was her saloon that was being destroyed. He swallowed hard and decided Festus was right. 

“Okay, I’ll get her, but I have half mind to shoot both of ‘em and be done with it!” Hvitserk quickly turned and rushed to Anna’s room. He rapped twice and didn’t wait for an answer as he burst through the door. Anna was sitting in an armchair, her feet on an ottoman with an open book in her lap, the very picture of leisure. She didn’t seem at all surprised and actually sported a smug grin as Hvitserk relayed his sorry news. When Hvitserk stopped for a breath, she placed her book aside and rose gracefully to her feet. Just as she smoothed out the lines of her skirt, a loud clamour erupted from the saloon. Hvitserk grimaced and looked closely at Anna to gauge her reaction. 

“I’m fetching my gun,” he said hurriedly. “Hold your horses, let’s just see what all the ruckus is about,” she said, almost condescendingly. She glided by Hvitserk into the hallway as though she had all the time in the world. She obviously doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation, Hvitserk thought. He followed closely on her heels alternating between apologizing and assuring her that everything would be fine. As they entered the saloon, the scene that unfolded before them was such a shock to Hvitserk that his face paled.   
All three strangers who had been fighting earlier were seated around a single table quietly playing cards. At the back of the room, The Boys were in their familiar spot.   
Mysteriously, even Elizabeth and Jansen were there, seated at their own table. There didn’t appear to be broken furniture or glass anywhere. Anna spoke up first. 

“Well, I was led to believe there was quite a ruckus happening here,” she said. The three strangers looked up, seemingly startled to see her standing there. It was the big one who chimed a reply. 

“Ah, yes ma’am,” he said, “I’m afraid I spilled some ale on the floor over there. Very clumsy of me. I do apologize.” A puddle of amber liquid did lie on the floor where part of the earlier bedlam had taken place. 

“All right, what’s going on here?” Hvitserk finally blurted. “I swear to you, they were tearing the place apart! There were broken tables and bottles and…” He pointed to the smallest of the three. “That guy there was knocked out cold!” 

“Oh,” said the redhead. “You mean like this?” He lifted a bottle from their table and smashed it over the little man’s head. Right on cue, the victim collapsed onto the table and it buckled under his weight – glass and wood sprayed across the floor. The little man looked up immediately and smiled at Hvitserk. In fact, everyone was smiling at Hvitserk. Anna could no longer contain her laughter.

“My newest friend, I would like you to meet some of my oldest and dearest friends,” she said, linking her arm with Hvitserk’s. “May I present a few of the Rascal Riders.” On her introduction, the three strangers stood shoulder to shoulder and dramatically leaned forward in a deep bow. At first, Hvitserk was not impressed at being the dupe in a practical joke. It didn’t take long though before he joined in the merriment of the evening and relished being a major player in a free show. The three members of The Rascal Riders − who went by the names Roadrunner, Toe and Boom-Boom − even showed Hvitserk how their prop bottles and furniture worked and gave him a crash course in the fine art of staging a barroom brawl. Hvitserk learned that the evening’s events had been orchestrated by Anna earlier that day. The laughter and good times continued well into the early hours of the next day. Elizabeth, Anna and Hvitserk poured drinks for all the patrons and took turns smashing fake bottles and chairs around the saloon. Hvitserk couldn’t remember an evening of revelry he’d enjoyed more. 

Hours later, with all the guests gone and Elizabeth retired to her room, Hvitserk walked Anna to her room. They were both still in such good spirits that neither wanted the evening to end. Standing at her door, Anna turned to Hvitserk, “Come in for a few more minutes,” she murmured, not caring about the impropriety of the invitation. 

“I thought you were feeling under the weather?” Hvitserk asked with a sarcastic grin, excited that the evening was continuing. 

“Please,” she said laughing and opening her door for them. “Who could sleep after a night like this?” Hvitserk followed her through the door and closed it gently behind him. The moon was high and they were both drawn to the window to view the star blanketed, cloudless night. After a few minutes of quietly reflecting on the stillness of the night and enjoying each other’s company, Hvitserk broke the silence. 

“So, why did you go to all the trouble to set me up?” Hvitserk asked. 

“Well,” Anna began with a faint smile on her lips, “I seem to remember a certain someone suggesting that I couldn’t possibly run a business because I’m a woman…” Anna looked at Hvitserk and smiled, her hazel eyes sparkling. “I thought it would do you good to experience the ‘ambience’ of a night in a saloon.”   
Hvitserk chuckled, shaking his head, “I knew as soon as those words were out of my mouth that I’d live to regret them. You and your friends really spooked me tonight,” Hvitserk admonished. 

“They are my friends, Hvitserk,” Anna explained earnestly. “We know that we can count on each other any time and all the time. Anyone who wants to enter our circle is welcome,” she shyly looked up at Hvitserk, “but that person has to accept the same obligations as the rest of us – anytime and all the time.” Hvitserk stepped forward, pulled Anna to his chest and wrapped his arms around her curvaceous body. The invitation had been sent and received. He just wasn’t certain how to reply. 

“This stretch of railroad will soon─” Hvitserk started weakly. He was about to continue when Anna interrupted and placed her hand over his mouth. 

“I don’t want to talk about that tonight,” she pleaded. “I don’t want to think about what comes next or hear promises that are not easily kept – not tonight.” She pulled back from his athletic body to look more closely at his handsome face and smiled shyly. Slowly, they drifted closer until finally his mouth fell upon hers. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as their lips mingled and danced. Their hearts raced as they savoured the beauty of the moment. They pulled apart and Hvitserk grinned back at Anna. 

“Y’know, I should probably be angry with you for putting me through all that tonight,” he said. Anna stepped back and, in mock protest, put her hands on her hips. 

“Oh come now dear sir, you wouldn’t hold a grudge against a l’il ol’ helpless country gal like me, now would you?” She turned and pranced across the room to the table where the lantern sat flickering and with one swift puff, the flame disappeared. She looked back at him over her shoulder and coyly repeated her question. “Would you?” 

Hvitserk strode wordlessly across the room to stand behind her. He placed his hands upon her hips and pulled her tight against him. His face nuzzled lovingly against the nape of her neck. She felt his warm lips against her soft skin, tracing along her jaw line and then gently nibbling at her earlobe. She was paralyzed by his slow and deliberate attention to detail. Her details. She took his hands in hers and lifted them up to her chest. Leaving her hands overtop of his, she squeezed his hands against her breasts. Together they slowly unbuttoned the front of Anna’s dress. 

Hvitserk’s kisses strayed from her neck, to her shoulder and to her cheek until, at last, her dress had fallen to the floor and he had kissed his way to stand in front of her. His hands moved beneath her underclothes and against her supple bottom, pulling her closer. Each could hear the other’s quivering breath and feel their nervous hearts throbbing. Hvitserk’s hands slid up her figure and roamed over her waist to the base of her breasts. Anna needed no prompting as she lifted her undergarment up over her head and tossed it aside. Her body stood half naked before him, covered only from the waist down by a thin pair of bloomers. Bending before her, he tenderly cupped her soft breasts and lifted them slightly to meet his warm wet lips. Anna let out a low guttural moan as he kissed and savored each hardening nipple. 

Reaching for the buttons of his shirt she tore it open, digging her fingers into his chest, relishing the feel of his bare body. They reached for each other’s waists at the same time, tugging off the remainder of each other’s clothing until they stood naked together. Hvitserk gently lowered Anna to her bed, her skin glowing softly in the pale moonlight. It took but a moment before their arms and legs snaked together and intertwined. It was there they spent the night – kissing, touching, exploring – consummating their freshly born love.


	11. Chapter 11

The horse, decked with bows and ribbons, stood stoically and patiently in front of the saloon. Her mane and tail were braided and her coat was clean and shiny. The mare was accustomed to this kind of attention every year at Harvest Ball time. A grand parade preceded the Ball and Anna always went to great lengths to make the old mare a feature attraction. Anna whispered soft words to keep the animal calm. 

“You are going to be the prettiest thing in the parade this year,” Anna promised. Smokey cowered against the wall of the saloon. Before Anna and Elizabeth had turned their attention to the horse, they had cornered the poor unsuspecting dog and dressed it as a cowboy. Smokey the cowboy was going to sit propped up on a cart, pretending to steer the mare. That is, unless Smokey had anything to say about it. 

“You look great, too, Smokey,” Anna cooed to her faithful pet. 

“I hope we’re not doing all this work for nothing,” Elizabeth grumbled, whisking a strand of her long brown hair from her forehead. Anna knew what she meant. They both looked at the grey sky being replaced with layers of blue and black clouds from the west. The wind had picked up considerably since lunchtime, casting doubt on the fate of the entire ball, let alone the parade. 

“The parade will happen,” Anna chirped optimistically. “I have a good feeling about it.” Anna had been in a good mood for days, ever since the Rascal Riders’ performance at the Wild Rose − and the time spent afterwards with Hvitserk. Hvitserk had left for the railroad camp early the next morning but promised to return in time for the Harvest Ball. 

“Jansen and I are going to dance the night away,” Elizabeth blurted out. “No more sneaking around after hours at the saloon and the cheese factory. The whole town is going to know about us by sunrise tomorrow.” 

“It’s about time,” Anna laughed. “You know, you two really are the worst kept secret in Prairie Gulch.” They shared a laugh. From where they stood, Anna and Elizabeth could see the corner of the stage being constructed in the town square. Every man in town not working on the railroad who could swing a hammer – all four of The Boys included – were working furiously on the temporary structure. A makeshift dance floor and a decorative trellis were also in place. The town’s womenfolk set up tables and chairs around the dance floor so people could sit and eat the baked goods and treats, made especially for the occasion. The gusting of dust, leaves and tumbleweed from the early autumn wind did not distract anyone from their duties. It would take more than a little wind and dark clouds to derail the Prairie Gulch Harvest Ball. 

“Anna, I need to talk to you about something,” Elizabeth said. “It’s about Harvey’s Haven.” 

“Sunrise Hill,” Anna sang. “What about it?” Elizabeth explained to her that Hvitserk had made a generous offer to buy the property and had shown her plans for a train station and a hotel. And he was prepared to pay cash. Anna’s demeanour cooled as she listened to the tale. “Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” she stammered. “And did you explain to him that the property belongs to both of us?” 

“Don’t worry,” Elizabeth said, sensing her friend’s annoyance. “I would never sell that property out from under you. And no, I didn’t tell him anything except that I would think about it. And I have been thinking about it – thinking about it a lot.” Anna started listening to Elizabeth but in her mind she kept playing the events of the last few weeks over and over again. She was using Elizabeth’s story to fill in the missing pieces from the puzzle of Hvitserk’s story. Now she knew what the money in the suitcase was for. Now she knew why Hvitserk was so interested in the Wild Rose. A distant rumbling in the sky brought Anna back to the conversation. “So, do you think they would accept it?” Elizabeth asked, seemingly from out of the blue. 

“What?” Anna realized she had stopped listening to her friend. “Who? Accept what?” 

“The railroad company,” Elizabeth repeated. “What if we only sold the railroad a portion of the land for their station, and then you and I expand the hotel on the land we keep.” Elizabeth had stars in her eyes, but Anna’s eyes were starting to glaze over with thoughts about Hvitserk, bad weather and real estate deals. She sobered up enough to answer.   
“Hvitserk says the Grand Humber owns hotels all across the territory,” Anna said. “I don’t think they would be interested in the deal if they didn’t own the hotel.” Elizabeth pondered this. She was about to debate the point but was interrupted by a different rumbling. This time it was the afternoon stagecoach racing madly along the road. Everyone in the town square stopped to watch the stagecoach rumble past and creak to a halt. The driver leapt off and called for everyone’s attention. 

“Head for your storm cellars everyone. There’s a twister coming.” he bellowed. “It’s already cutting through the next county and it’s headed right this way!” The crowd stirred, half with concern, half with skepticism. Everyone knew that Prairie Gulch was vulnerable to tornadoes, it had been quite a few years since the last twister came within a mile of town, let alone right through it. Some took this as comfort; others believed Prairie Gulch was overdue. Elizabeth needed no further encouragement. She immediately packed up the grooming tools and began to lead the mare back to the security of the stable. Anna wasn’t convinced. She hurried toward the stagecoach driver to press him for more details.   
“How can you be so sure a twister is headed this way,” she probed. “Did you see it?” The driver turned his head to Anna as his eyes widened. 

“Don’t take my word for it ma’am,” he replied pointing over her shoulder. “Look for yourself!” 

On the horizon, a thick streak of black stretched from the hills to the sky. It was a writhing, growling funnel cloud and it had the Wild Rose and Prairie Gulch in its path. It wasn’t the first time that Anna had seen one and she couldn’t help thinking that the sound reminded her of a train rumbling along a track. Her thoughts flashed immediately to Hvitserk and the construction site that lay directly in the tornado’s path. 

“Oh no,” Anna gasped. “The railroad site. It’s just a collection of tents and lumber. It will be completely destroyed.” She was frozen with fear for Hvitserk and his crew. The driver attempted to put her mind at ease. 

“You mean the Grand Humber? They’re long gone, ma’am.” Anna, mouth still gaping at the sight of the twister, turned to look at the driver. 

“What do you mean, long gone?” 

“I just came from there,” he explained. “The tents, the supplies, the men − they all moved on to the next camp site.” Anna’s head shot back toward the funnel cloud that was surging ominously closer at an awesome rate. Her mind worked overtime to absorb it all. Could it be true, she wondered. Would Hvitserk really pick up and leave without so much as saying goodbye? Had he really only been interested in the land and one night with her? She stared at the hillside, hoping to see him on the back of a horse galloping over the horizon. 

“I’d love to chat further ma’am, but, well, y’know, a twister’s comin’.” The driver hurriedly tipped his hat and led his team of horses toward the livery. The entire town was scrambling for cover; creaking open storm cellar doors and nailing down anything they could in the final minutes before what looked to be a certain touchdown. Elizabeth swept to Anna’s side and linked arms. 

“Come on, Anna. We have no time to lose.” she begged, before leading her shocked friend around to the back of the hotel to the storm cellar door. Elizabeth yelled over her shoulder. “Anyone needing shelter, we have room for a few more!” Jansen was already at Elizabeth’s side with a half dozen other neighbors. Smokey knew just where to go. Jansen heaved open the cellar door and everyone clambered down the stairs into the musty darkness. Anna and Elizabeth used the cellar for storage of old equipment and sometimes for root vegetables. It wasn’t much for creature comforts. Still, everyone was content to settle on the dank dirt floor if it meant protection from the elements. The thunderous noise of the tornado drew nearer and with everyone secure inside, Anna reached up and latched the door shut. The faintest light peeked in from the edges of the door, and all eyes looked up at it. They could hear the random rattling of wood and metal as the wind picked up velocity. Each horrifying gust of the tornado shook the earth and whistled frightfully through the cracks in the door. 

Elizabeth shuttered slightly and leaned against Jansen’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her and they gently rocked back and forth. Anna’s mind was a tempest, worrying about what the tornado would do to her town, her hotel, and the saloon. And she could not stop thinking about Hvitserk. She worried about his safety and remembered the passion of their lovemaking. His scent and touch seemed so distant now. Had he taken what he wanted that night and now saw no reason to even say goodbye?

Smokey snuggled faithfully against Anna’s leg. She instinctively reached forward and stroked her pet’s soft fur. “Once again Smokey, you seem to be the only one I can depend on,” she said quietly, almost to herself, “You and Elizabeth.” She looked over at Elizabeth, who was the picture of contentment in Jansen’s arms. Anna longed to be with Hvitserk right now. Safe and secure in his arms and in his heart. The heavy rhythm of rainfall could be heard against the door and a steady drip seeped through its cracks. Anna thought again that the sound overhead reminded her of a train, pounding its way through her town and over her heart. 

By the time the cellar door behind the Wild Rose creaked open and its occupants climbed out, night had fallen and draped Prairie Gulch in a wet, thick blackness. The air was warm and filled with the sound of rainwater dripping from every building and tree limb. Other townsfolk had already emerged from their shelters and were wandering the streets, inspecting the extent of damage as best as they could. Some had ignited torches to light their way. Anna looked up at her dark hotel and saloon and breathed a sigh of relief. Save for a few boards missing from the exterior wall and the rain gutter that would later be found wrapped like a corkscrew around an oak tree, the structure had been largely spared. She would be able to sleep in her own bed tonight. Others were not so fortunate. 

The sound of weeping could be heard as families discovered their homes either damaged or outright destroyed. Anna, Elizabeth and Jansen wandered through the town and saw building after building lying in ruins. On one side of the main street Anna could see the town she grew up in virtually untouched, but the other side was unrecognizable. The post office, the general store and at least a dozen homes had been reduced to nothing more than a pile of wood and stone. The stables had been spared, though its occupants were skittish and shaken. Smokey was bewildered and stayed close to Anna’s feet as she walked through town. 

Anna offered spare rooms at her hotel to the homeless she passed on the street, but everyone who needed shelter for the night had found it behind the walls of family, friends or neighbors. On the outskirts of the village the three met up with other townsfolk at the Beardsley household − home of Beulah, the busybody chair of the temperance league and her husband Ahearn. A large willow tree had blown over and had come to rest against the Beardsley home. The roof and the structure of the house remained intact. Beulah giggled with delight. “I guess we all know whose home the good Lord smiles upon,” she cackled. “I think we can all learn a lesson from this night.” Anna couldn’t believe that Beulah Beardsley would display such callousness. 

“We’d best save the cleanup until morning,” said a forceful male voice behind Anna. It took a moment to register – it was Jansen. She had never heard him speak with such authority. “It’s too dark to see what we’re doing tonight and we will all need our rest for tomorrow.” Before settling in for the night, Anna pushed her way through the dripping wet boughs to her secluded clearing on the hill. She gazed out into the horizon. What the stagecoach driver had said appeared to be true. There were no fires glowing in the distance nor sounds of men working. It was as if the railway campsite, and Hvitserk, had never really been there.


	12. Chapter 12

The residents of Prairie Gulch were up by dawn. Most spent the morning fixing up their own homes, patching holes, picking up debris and generally fortifying their households. Later, they turned to the homes and businesses that were totally shattered by the tornado. There were jobs for everyone. Personal effects of many households had blown across the town so there was plenty of gathering to be done. All of the food that had been prepared for the Harvest Ball was used to feed the workers. Although no lives were lost, and no one was seriously injured by the previous night’s events, the mood of the town was a somber one. The recovery work would take weeks, even months, to complete. 

With the Wild Rose in good shape, Anna and Elizabeth made their way to the Post Office which had been demolished. There was no sign of mail amongst the wreckage – the tornado had scattered letters, envelopes and packages for miles around the town. Jansen was already there, directing a half dozen workers. Elizabeth watched him with pride and she and Anna dutifully followed his directions. Anna couldn’t get over the change in Jansen’s personality as she watched him take charge of the clean up. Disasters with the power to destroy structures also seemed to have the power to bring about a man’s true colors, she considered. And where was Hvitserk? The question, never far from her thoughts, came crashing in. 

She had barely slept a wink all night. When she first crawled into bed she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he had been called away urgently and hadn’t time to tell her or get word to her. By the time the sun rose the following morning, her sentiments had changed. She had decided why Hvitserk had not returned to her: He was a scoundrel. A drifter. And Anna was the fool once again. The recent experience of working a day on the railroad served Anna well. She took hold of a crowbar and began prying apart boards, tossing the remnants into the appropriate piles. Her blistered hands had finally healed from her day in the role of Matty Duff, railroad worker, and now she could feel new ones forming on her palms. When she thought about Hvitserk, she poured her frustrations into her work, prying, hammering and yanking on the iron bar with anger-fuelled strength. The oppressive heat of the late-morning sun, the dust in her curly, black hair and the blisters burning on her palms combined so that, eventually, she began to associate Hvitserk with the pain and discomfort that comes with hard labor. 

When the crowbar slipped out of her sweaty hands the last thing she expected to see was a familiar hand bending to pick it up. Her eyes followed the hand, up the arm, over a athletic body to spy both the first and last face she wanted to see. 

“Need some help?” Hvitserk asked dryly. Anna had spent all of the laborious morning imagining what she would say to Hvitserk if she could look into his green eyes just once more. 

“I can manage without you,” she said coolly. “I did last night. I always have and I always will.” She snatched the crowbar from his hand and turned back to her pile of lumber. Hvitserk, feeling braver than the last time she had snapped at him, reached for her arm and turned her back to face him. The crowbar rattled to the ground once more. Her hazel eyes glowered with outrage and she lifted a hand to slap his face. His free hand caught hers mid-swing. 

“Don’t you think I wanted to be with you last night and this morning?” he demanded. 

“I don’t know what to think,” she retorted. “Should I think that you’re a railroad foreman? Or that you’re a real estate developer?” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Should I think that you only made love to me because I was convenient? Maybe you would have been here last night if you knew the land you want is really mine!” Hvitserk seemed taken aback by the last remark. “That’s right,” Anna hissed. “It’s not all Elizabeth’s property. It’s mine too. If you knew it was mine, perhaps you would have been here with me last night. But that’s okay – I managed then and I’ll manage now,” Anna wrenched both her arms free of Hvitserk’s grasp and picked up the crowbar again. 

“If you would just let me explain,” Hvitserk pleaded. 

“You know what? I am actually quite interested in hearing your explanation. About you. About your suitcase full of dirty money! About how you could pack up your camp and move down the line without even telling me you were leaving…” She fought back the tears that threatened. “But not now. Right now these people, my friends, need me.” Looking around at the disaster and finally at Hvitserk, she sighed, “So you’ll have to excuse me, I have work to do.” 

“I know there is work to do,” Hvitserk replied patiently, resisting the urge to pull Anna to him until she stopped resisting. “That’s why I brought help,” he said deliberately and with his index finger, he gently turned her face towards the horizon. Anna flinched at his touch but her eyes looked where he directed. A dozen men appeared marching side by side with shovels and picks and axes propped on their shoulders. Behind them were four more rows just like the first. Fifty railroad construction workers, descended on the town like an army equipped for battle. Their leader was Pirate, perched upon a white steed, prancing at the head of the pack. When his platoon reached the edge of the destruction zone, he began barking his orders. 

“Shep, take your team to the post office. Ruddles, your crew the general store. Red, you go to that cluster of homes over there. Linc, you and your men sweep the town, gather up anything that ain’t scrap and drop it in the town square.” Pirate clearly enjoyed giving his orders from horseback. After ensuring every man had his orders, Pirate dismounted his horse. The townspeople stood and marvelled at the sight of their workforce multiplying before their eyes. All of a sudden the task at hand seemed more manageable. The influx of personnel energized the tired townspeople and the work was tackled with renewed vigor. Hvitserk looked to Anna for an approving gesture. Anna was touched, but still hurt. She didn’t know what to feel and she could not look into Hvitserk’s magnetic green eyes. 

“Thank you,” she said sincerely and turned to walk to another corner of the Post Office. She had only taken a couple of steps when she was blocked by Pirate hobbling towards Hvitserk. Pirate did a double take when he saw Anna. 

“Hey lady, don’t I know you from somewhere?” Pirate asked. Anna looked him square in the eye and smiled. Pirate no longer intimidated her. 

“Maybe,” was her coy reply. “Have you ever been to the Wild Rose?” He began to cackle. 

“Probably. I used to drink quite a bit. Got myself into a heap of trouble but don’t remember most of it.” He looked down at his peg leg. “I shot the foot clear off my leg one day. I haven’t carried a gun since.” Anna couldn’t help but grin. He was the one man who could refute the story that made her a legend in Prairie Gulch and he didn’t remember the night at all. 

“Thank you for lending us your men,” she said before walking away. 

“Weren’t my idea, lady,” Pirate replied, pointing an accusatory thumb at Hvitserk. “I do what the boss tells me.” Anna raised an eyebrow and nodded. She turned and walked to where the fresh workers had gathered on the far side of the tornado torn post office. She looked around her. The railroad workers – thrilled at having a new challenge before them − had taken over the clean-up and swarmed throughout the town like bees in a hive. 

After makeshift walls and a roof were erected at the Post Office, Anna stayed behind with a broom to sweep up the last remnants of debris. Earlier, Hvitserk had jumped into the fray and worked silently beside Anna. Now he grabbed a pair of boxes and set them down near her. He sat on one and wordlessly invited her to join him. Too tired to decline, she reluctantly accepted his invitation, keeping the broom in her hands and rolling it back and forth in her blistered palms. God he looks good, she thought to herself. He had removed his shirt, seeking relief from the heat of the afternoon sun and his athletic body glistened with sweat and dust. His straight, blonde hair was tussled. She remembered sadly the last time she had seen his naked body. It was a night she would never forget and a night she was certain would never be repeated. Hvitserk spoke first. 

“I’m sorry I could not be with you when all of this happened,” he said. “The men worked hard this week and we finished ahead of schedule. We moved forward to the next campsite when we heard about bad weather heading this way…” Hvitserk stopped. “Anna, I am responsible for the safety of fifty men. I knew you would be all right. I knew you had a storm cellar and plenty of friends to help you. I couldn’t say the same about my crew.” 

“I know,” Anna replied quickly. “My head knows all of that. I was alright. I mean, I was safe.” She paused. “When the stagecoach driver said you’d moved on, I was hurt and confused.”

She stopped again, examining the broom handle between her hands. Willing the tears in her eyes away, she went on, “I was alone. I needed…” Hvitserk reached out and caressed her hand, pulling it down from the broom and onto her thigh. More tears welled in her big, hazel eyes but she choked them back and finished her thought. “I needed you, Hvitserk, but you weren’t here. I realized that you never would be here. I have a life with roots and friends and a home. You have a life with railroad tracks and wheels. That’s not enough for me, Hvitserk. It’s not what I want.” 

“It’s not what I want, either,” he said, intertwining his fingers with hers and gripping her hand more tightly against her thigh. “That’s what I want to talk to you about.” Anna took a deep, troubled breath and looked at him. “Come on,” he said. “Let me show you something.” She let him pull her up from the box. Anna was too drained to resist or to talk, as Hvitserk led her down the street, past the Wild Rose, to her special place on Sunrise Hill. 

Sitting side by side on Sunrise Hill, Hvitserk pointed with sweeping gestures toward the valley below. Anna was taking it all in, Hvitserk’s excitement was obvious. “I want to buy some of the land from you and Elizabeth then sell the railroad company only enough land to erect a station. I will become the station master and with some of the proceeds of the land sale, and my own money, I will invest in the Wild Rose. We will be business partners and the Wild Rose will become the showpiece of railroad line.” Hvitserk paused to let his remark sink in, then continued softly, “If you will have me, Anna…” 

Anna sat aghast staring at him. His plans were so much more than she had ever imagined. “Why would you want to do this, Hvitserk?” she asked, her heart pounding. 

He smiled at her tenderly, “I’ve been looking for a place to lay roots. A place with good, salt-of-the-earth people. A place to call home.” Anna’s mind was reeling. The suitcase full of money made sense now. The money in the suitcase was Hvitserk’s – little wonder he kept it so close to him all the time.

“Was this your plan from the beginning? To buy land and put down roots,” she asked skeptically, still not sure what to make of his plans. 

“No.” Hvitserk brushed a wisp of black hair from Anna’s forehead and gazed into her eyes. “After seeing how your friends and neighbors all pitched in when the bull rammed your saloon and the evening with the Rascal Riders…” He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “It came to me after we said goodbye the other morning.” Anna blushed slightly at the memory of their amorous goodbye. “Leaving you that morning was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.” He planted a soft kiss on her lips before drawing away and continuing, “I knew as I rode away that I wanted to be a part of this town and part of your life.” Anna’s mouth suddenly became dry and she pulled back ever so slightly from his warm embrace. 

“Hvitserk, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” she asked softly. “Because if you are asking for more than a business partnership, I don’t think that I’m ready for that. In fact, I’m certain that I’m not ready for that…yet”, she added with a shy smile. 

“You’re right,” he said. “But we’ll never know if we’re as right for each other, as I think we are, if I keep traveling across the country. So Prairie Gulch will be my home.” He hesitated, staring into her warm hazel eyes. “But you never answered me. Do you want me to stay, Anna?” Anna could hardly speak − and so she didn’t. She knew there were many things to be worked out, but for now it felt so good and so right to be in his arms again. She moved wordlessly into his embrace, responding to his question with a searing kiss. Their lips had barely touched when they were interrupted by an ominous crashing sound. They both straightened and looked in the direction of the noise. A moment later, a hideous creak was followed by another loud crash. It sounded like the collapse of a building and Anna recognized the screams of a lone female voice. 

They both ran hard toward the screams. Everyone who had heard the sounds gathered in front of what was the Beardsley home. The house that had apparently been spared the night before was now severed in half by the large tree that had been resting against the roof after the tornado. In an effort to clear the tree, Beulah’s husband, Ahearn, had been on the roof hacking limbs from the trunk. The movement had caused the large tree to shift its weight and become unstable. The first crash everyone heard was the tree ripping through the roof onto the floor of the upper story. The second crash occurred when Ahern had lost his balance during the first crash and been forced to jump on top of the tree or risk falling to the ground. His weight had been enough to push the tree through the second story floorboards and down to the ground floor. Miraculously, Ahearn emerged with only a few scratches but the house was destroyed. 

A weeping Beulah knelt before the wreckage. Most of the townsfolk had gathered behind her, staring in shock at the sudden reversal of fortune. Beulah’s attitude during the best of times had earned her few friends in Prairie Gulch. Her callous remarks the night before, when so many had endured tragedy, had done nothing to further endear her to the hearts of her neighbors. Half the town was already living with the other half in the aftermath of the twister and no one really wanted Beulah in their home. Anna, moved by the woman’s grief, stepped forward and gently put her arm around Beulah’s shoulders. 

“Of course you will stay with me,” she said. Beulah couldn’t believe her ears. She stopped sobbing long enough to look pathetically at Anna’s stoic face. Anna smiled reassuringly and continued, “I have plenty of room. Gather what you can and bring it to the Wild Rose. My home is yours until you are resettled.” After helping Beulah and her family into their rooms, Anna found Hvitserk in the saloon sitting at the new player piano. She sauntered up behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. She had made a decision.


	13. Chapter 13

The sun hung low on the horizon as Hvitserk and Anna stood together on Sunrise Hill. They could hear music and laughter echoing from the town’s center where the Harvest Ball was getting a belated start. With the help of Hvitserk’s railway workers, the clean up had gone much quicker than anyone had thought possible. Everyone in town had agreed that it was time for a party to celebrate the rebuilding of Prairie Gulch. 

“You’re incredible, you know that?” Hvitserk whispered in Anna’s ear. He had heard from the townsfolk how terribly Beulah had always treated Anna. For her to have stepped forward and offer Beulah and her family shelter, only confirmed for Hvitserk that Anna was the woman for him. 

“Well, I had to do it,” she said. “In a way, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for her.” Anna remembered her youth as the waitress and chambermaid at the Wild Rose working for Harvey Douglas. What began as a family business fell into Harvey’s hands after his parents succumbed to the Black Fever. With no one but himself to run things, the Wild Rose fell into disrepair. It was only through Anna’s hard work, and later with the help of Elizabeth, that the business survived at all. So grateful was old man Douglas for Elizabeth and Anna’s loyal service, that he left Anna the hotel and the land to the two friends when he passed away. 

“It wasn’t a week after I became owner of the Wild Rose that Beulah Beardsley came to my door and told me that a house of drink was no place for a lady. She sat with me for an hour and told me over and over again why running a saloon was a man’s job. By the time she left, I was fully committed to keeping the Wild Rose and succeeding,” she paused and gathered her thoughts. 

“So, if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be who I am today. And now, I have her to thank for making it easy for me to forgive your indiscretions,” she smiled at his pained look. “When I realized that I couldn’t leave Beulah and her family homeless, even after all she had done to me, certainly I could forgive you for not telling me about your job and hiding your real reason for being in Prairie Gulch.” She paused and looked at him earnestly. “But, Mr. Lothbrok, if we are to be business partners, there can be no more secrets.” Hvitserk grinned from ear to ear, realizing that Anna was agreeing to his proposition. 

He leaned forward to kiss her. Anna sighed as her mouth dissolved against Hvitserk’s and the rest of her body followed into his arms. For a brief moment, they breathed as one in the light of the lingering dusk. Hvitserk pulled away first. “What a woman I have found,” he said to the sky. “A forgiving heart. A great kisser. And she can drive a railroad spike with the best of them.” Anna stopped short and stared, surprised, at Hvitserk. 

“How did you know?” 

“Actually, there were a few clues,” Hvitserk explained. “The night I was tending bar, before the Rascal Riders showed up, I found a box of clothes that looked suspiciously familiar,” He smiled. “Then the next day when I spoke with Elizabeth, she told me that everyone in town, except you, calls Sunrise Hill, Harvey’s Haven. But Matty seemed to know Sunrise Hill when I asked him about it at the worksite.” “But mostly, while making love that night,” Hvitserk said, linking his fingers with hers, “I thought your blisters seemed a little severe for a saloon keeper and hotel owner.” She blushed at his words, remembering how their fingers had intertwined. 

“Okay, so I am guilty of some deceptions as well. Forgive me?” Hvitserk answered her question by releasing Anna’s hands and slipping his own down to the small of her back and kissing her passionately. His hands strayed as he squeezed her curvaceous body against his. Anna felt herself surrender as Hvitserk gradually gathered her skirt up into his hands. Inch by inch, she felt her hemline rise past her calves, then her knees, then her thighs so eventually he caressed her soft bottom through her thin undergarments. She pulled back from his kiss to look into his eyes. She could feel his fingers slip beneath the hemline of her britches as he began to peel them slowly down her hips, exposing her skin to the cool evening air. Their gazes locked and never broke contact. Not when her undergarments fell to her feet and not as she reached for his suspenders and slid them over his shoulders. She slipped her hands beneath his shirt and slowly ran her fingers across his warm chest. 

“Do my hands feel better now?” Anna cooed. Hvitserk could barely breathe, let alone speak. She continued with a roguish grin, “You know, the other night when we were together, I was tired and sore. I’m not sure you got the best of me.”

In one motion, she unhooked the front of his trousers and pushed them down, revealing a growing bulge. She tightly gripped his hips and guided him down onto the grass. With Hvitserk on the ground, Anna wasted no time pulling at his underclothes, sliding them down his legs and off his feet. Wordlessly, he reached out to her and lifted her up over his body. She straddled his hips and slowly lowered herself onto him. In the distance, they heard music and laughter. On Sunrise Hill, Hvitserk and Anna danced to a music all their own. 

When the couple arrived at the Harvest Ball a few hours after it had begun, their absence had hardly been noticed. Under a bright starry sky, they sat at their own secluded table just a short sashay from the dance floor. They sipped from cool glasses of lemonade and tapped their feet to the rollicking sounds of the Rascal Riders. The hillbilly music inspired the townsfolk and railroad workers alike to link arms and trade partners in an unbridled orgy of good natured fun on the dance floor. At the centre of the party was Pirate. His one good leg propelled him up and down in the middle of the floor while others danced around him. He had removed his peg leg and was swinging it in circles above his head with his right hand. His left hand held a mug of ale that spilled with each hop, an action he only corrected long enough to slurp another mouthful of the amber liquid. A drink was always punctuated by a whooping cry echoed by the dancers around him. Even Smokey was in on the action. Bobbing and weaving among the stomping legs, trying desperately to avoid being trampled, the dog sniffed intently for any treat dropped by unsuspecting partiers. 

Anna and Hvitserk linked arms at their table. She put her head on his shoulder and revelled in the feeling of having someone to share the party with. She raised her head when she saw Elizabeth and Jansen weaving through the tables, heading their way. Jansen struggled to keep up with Elizabeth who dragged him along by the hand. 

“You two look cozy,” Elizabeth called out. “Why don’t you join us on the dance floor?” 

“It’s a little crazy out there right now,” Anna replied. “I have a personal rule never to dance next to a drunken, one legged man. Maybe later.” Elizabeth and Jansen laughed heartily. Anna informed her friends about Hvitserk’s plans for the hotel partnership and for a new life in Prairie Gulch. “Are you sure you can adjust to the quiet life of a small town?” Elizabeth asked playfully. 

“Quiet? You mean with the tornadoes, bar room fights and rampaging bulls? Yes,” he chuckled. “I think I can keep from becoming too bored.” 

“Well, we have some news and you two are the first to know, Jansen and I intend to be married!” Elizabeth beamed. 

“Oh Elizabeth!” Anna cried, jumping from her seat to hug her best friend. “That’s wonderful!” Hvitserk stood to shake Jansen’s hand. 

“Congratulations you two,” he said sincerely. Jansen beaming with pride nodded and said, “We talked about it the night of the tornado. I realized then, that I never wanted to let Elizabeth go–” 

“So he asked and I accepted!” Elizabeth cut in. “We’re going to convert part of his house to a bakery,” she continued excitedly. “And then…” she stopped when she saw the look on Anna and Hvitserk’s faces. “Don’t worry you two,” she assured them. “I’ll still be around to help out. I’ll cook enough for your guests. I’ve been with you from the beginning, Anna. I wouldn’t abandon you now.” The best friends hugged again and the men shook hands once more, sensing that they would be seeing a lot of each other in the years to come.   
The dance floor had cleared somewhat as Pirate had joined the Rascal Riders on the stage. Jansen took Elizabeth’s hand in his and led her away from the table. Elizabeth reached out for Anna and Hvitserk’s hands, but they smiled, shook their heads and sat back down. Hvitserk reached out and put his arm around Anna’s shoulders and pulled her close. The two were comfortably wrapped around each when Beulah appeared with a cheerful smile. 

“Oh, you silly lovebirds,” Beulah chirped, placing a tray of glasses on their table. “You’d better take some fresh lemonade to cool yourselves down.” With heavy sighs, they both sank back in their seats, taking full glasses from the tray. “By the way, Anna, I hear Elizabeth will be leaving the Wild Rose,” she said with a syrupy delivery. “But, don’t you worry about the cooking. Ahearn always said I make the best dumplings in town, and I think we all know who sells the most preserves at the annual church fundraiser. I will be happy to do the cooking for you.” Anna and Hvitserk exchanged smiles. 

“My oh my, word sure travels quickly around here,” Hvitserk remarked. 

“Oh, you know how it is in a small town,” Beulah replied. “I’ve heard about you two as well.” They listened intently to their role in the local rumor mill. “I hear you two are getting married and building a house on the hill. I just love weddings. First Elizabeth and Jansen, and now yours!” 

“Um, Beulah, that’s not exactly what’s happening,” Anna interrupted, her cheeks turning crimson. Beulah ignored Anna and kept on talking. 

“And then, of course, the next step is children,” she sang. Anna and Hvitserk shot each other wide-eyed looks. Hvitserk held out his hand. 

“Anna, may I have this dance?” She eagerly grasped his hand and leaped from her seat. 

“I’d love to.” They rambled onto the dance floor, leaving behind a beaming Beulah. They fell into step with Elizabeth, Jansen and the rest of the crowd but Hvitserk and Anna never let go of each other’s hands. The dancing and merriment continued through the night until the first faint rays of sunlight crept over Sunrise Hill. 

Hvitserk and Anna stood atop the hill that morning and looked out on the horizon. Hvitserk took hold of Anna’s hand and raised it to his lips, reminiscent of their first meeting. “Thank our lucky stars the Grand Humber took this route,” he said as his gaze wandered skyward. Anna sighed contentedly as he pulled her closer against him. Withdrawing her hand from his and tracing a finger across his handsome face, she felt a surge of passion she couldn’t have imagined mere weeks ago. 

“Maybe walking under a lady’s ladder isn’t such bad luck after all,” she said with a seductive smile. Their eyes met with a knowing gaze. As their bodies once more sought to quench their thirst for each other, they knew their love would remain as constant and as enchanting as the sunrises on Sunrise Hill.


End file.
